Man, that Game 4 loss for the Minnesota Timberwolves? Absolute gut punch. Seriously, they were at home, had a real shot to tie up the Western Conference Finals, and instead, they take a brutal 128-126 L to OKC. Now they’re staring down a gnarly 3-1 series deficit. When your season is on the line like that, every single moment gets magnified, every little interaction gets picked apart.

And right in the middle of all that tension, you had former Timberwolf Patrick Beverley, who’s always been that mix of instigator and hype man, trying to give Anthony Edwards a little halftime pep talk. But if you ask Wolves coach Chris Finch about it? Let’s just say he wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for more Pat Bev pregame speeches, especially after Ant had a night where his usual offensive explosion just wasn’t, well, there.

So here’s the scene: it’s halftime of a massive Game 4. Alan Horton, who’s the radio voice of the Minnesota Timberwolves, tweeted that Patrick Beverley, “pulled Ant aside as they came on the floor for the 2nd half — quick 30-seconds of encouragement.” You can totally picture Pat Bev, intense as ever, trying to light a fire under the Wolves’ young superstar. Classic Bev, right? He’s never shy about sharing his thoughts or trying to get his guys going. Yet, whatever Patrick Beverley tried to spark during that brief 30-second halftime message, it didn’t immediately resonate.

Edwards had a muted first half and a really tough night scoring the ball. He finished with just 16 points. For a guy who can absolutely take over a game (like he did with that 30-point outburst in their Game 3 win), 16 points in a must-win Game 4 just isn’t the Ant we’re used to seeing when the stakes are this high. The Thunder’s defense was relentless, and Ant just couldn’t seem to find his usual rhythm or get those explosive buckets. It was a bit rough to watch, to be honest.

Even Wolves head coach Chris Finch acknowledged the difficulties Ant faced in the game. “First half, I think he lagged behind a little too much. He couldn’t get out in front… But the second half was much better,” Finch said postgame. Whether it was Beverley’s message, the X’s and O’s, or sheer urgency with the season on the line, the spark didn’t come right away. And with Finch smirking off the idea of a pregame speech from Beverley — “No, I’ve had enough Pat Beverley pregame speeches.” — it’s clear the team isn’t leaning too heavily on sideline sentiment to salvage this series.

That said, Finch didn’t dwell altogether on the low point total, but instead focused on other aspects of Ant’s game. “I thought second half was more aggressive, he got down hill, we got him off the ball a little bit more, when he got to the paint, I thought he found people and made the right plays,” he said. 

It sounds like Finch saw Ant trying to make things happen in other ways, even if the shots weren’t falling. But for fans watching, and probably for Ant himself, that tough night scoring-wise, despite any pep talks, definitely stings when your team is now one loss away from their season being over. Big yikes.

Dream over? After game 4 collapse, have the Wolves blown their shot?

So, 3-1. That’s the grim reality facing the Minnesota Timberwolves. If you’re a Minnesota fan, you can’t help but ask: Is the dream over? Have Anthony Edwards and Co. officially blown their shot at the NBA Finals? History isn’t exactly on their side, that’s for sure.

Losing Game 4 like that, especially after fighting back and even having chances, just feels like a backbreaker. The Thunder are a wagon, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played like the MVP he is, dropping a monster 40 points, grabbing nine boards, and dishing out 10 assists. Jalen Williams wasn’t far behind with 34, and Chet Holmgren chipped in 21. That’s your star trio showing up huge on the road. The Wolves got big nights from their bench – Nickeil Alexander-Walker went off for 23 and Donte DiVincenzo had 21 – and Jaden McDaniels added 22. That’s 64 points from your reserves! Usually, that’s a recipe for a win.

But here’s where it all fell apart for Minnesota: turnovers and their main man having an off night. The Wolves coughed the ball up a staggering 23 times. Twenty. Three. Times. You just cannot do that in a Western Conference Finals game against a team as good as OKC and expect to win. It’s playoff basketball 101. Even though they actually scored more points off OKC’s turnovers than the Thunder did off theirs, those extra possessions they gave away were absolute killers in a two-point game. And then there’s Ant. After that incredible Game 3 where he looked like the best player on the planet, he just couldn’t get it going in Game 4.

So, can they actually come back from 3-1? It’s not impossible, but man, it’s close. It would take a miracle of epic proportions. They’d have to win three straight against an OKC team that just proved they can win ugly, win with their stars carrying, and win on the road in a hostile environment. Ant would need to channel his inner Michael Jordan for three straight games, the role players would have to be perfect, and they’d need OKC to completely fall apart.

Right now, it feels like that Game 4 loss, with all those turnovers and Ant not being able to find his offensive magic, might just be the one that haunts them. They showed they can hang, they showed they have the firepower when everyone’s clicking. But against a team as disciplined and talented as the Thunder, you just can’t afford those kinds of self-inflicted wounds. t’s looking pretty bleak for the Wolves’ championship dream this year.