It started like any other big-time playoff clash—bright lights, roaring crowd, the tension thick enough to cut with a butter knife. But what followed inside Target Center on Saturday night was the kind of basketball beatdown you usually only see when someone accidentally switches their controller to “rookie mode” on NBA 2 K. The Oklahoma City Thunder, a team that’s prided itself on tenacity and youth-fueled swagger all season, were run out of the building by a Timberwolves squad that played like they had a cheat code activated.

Let’s talk numbers, because these aren’t just stats—they’re history. The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t just win Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals; they torched the Thunder 143–101. That’s the most points the Wolves have ever scored in a playoff game. Ever. And the 42-point margin? It’s their second-biggest playoff win of all time. This wasn’t just a “we bounced back” performance—this was a “we kicked the door off the hinges and danced on the furniture” performance.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the scoreboard, OKC landed in the wrong kind of record books. This 42-point shellacking is officially the worst playoff loss in Thunder franchise history. Yes, worse than anything Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, or even Scott Brooks ever sat through. Before this, their most brutal postseason L was a 35-point loss to the 2014 Spurs. That one hurt. This one? It might need therapy.

And that brings us to Chet Holmgren, the unicorn of Oklahoma City. After the game, he didn’t dance around the truth. He didn’t point fingers. He owned it. “It’s not complicated,” Chet said. “Wherever they wanted to go, they got there. They did what they wanted to do. We didn’t stop them.”

That’s not just honesty—that’s a basketball soul bearing. The man basically admitted the Timberwolves had full access to the paint like they had a FastPass at Disneyland. When your rim protector is acknowledging a defensive collapse of this magnitude, you know it was bad. And Chet wasn’t wrong—Minnesota did whatever they wanted.

Anthony Edwards and Co. Go Full Throttle on Chet Holmgren

Let’s take a moment to give the Timberwolves their flowers, because they didn’t just show up—they showed out. Anthony Edwards was cooking like he brought his own kitchen. He dropped 30 points on a disgustingly efficient 70.6% shooting. That’s microwave numbers—press one button and BOOM, dinner’s ready. He also tossed in 6 assists and 9 rebounds for good measure.

Then you’ve got Julius Randle, who showed up looking like the All-Star version of himself, not the one Knicks fans threatened to trade for a folding chair two months ago. Randle poured in 24 points on 60% shooting and looked completely unfazed by the Thunder’s frontcourt.

Even Naz Reid, who’d been sleepwalking through the first two games like he had Minnesota winter jet lag, came alive with a couple of deep threes and solid board work. And the bench? From Terrence Shannon Jr. to Leonard Miller, everyone got their slice of the scoring pie. They even reached the “We want Joe Ingles!” chant stage. That’s peak playoff comedy.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—OKC’s box score was uglier than a mid-2000s Bobcats offensive set. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 points on 30.8% shooting. Jalen Williams had 13. The team shot 40.7% from the field and just 31.8% from three. When your best offense is Ajay Mitchell off the bench (who honestly balled out with 14 on 6-of-11 shooting), you know something went wrong.

Their defense? Non-existent. OKC allowed 57.3% shooting overall and a ridiculous 50% from beyond the arc. That’s not just bad—that’s “burn the tape and pretend it didn’t happen” bad. The Wolves had 11 offensive rebounds and 30 assists, moving the ball like they were reenacting the Spurs’ 2014 Finals clinic.

But here’s the thing—despite this historic curb-stomping, the Thunder still lead the series 2-1. They won the first two games and still have the upper hand heading into Game 4. That being said, momentum is a fickle thing in the NBA, and right now it’s partying with the Timberwolves.

If Oklahoma City wants to bounce back, they’ll need to do a lot more than just review film. They’ll need Chet Holmgren to own the paint like it’s his personal man cave, SGA to look like the MVP candidate he’s been all year, and maybe—just maybe—remember how to rotate on defense.

Saturday night was a masterclass in playoff blowouts, Timberwolves history, and brutal lessons for a young OKC squad. Holmgren’s postgame quote summed it up best—they didn’t stop anything. But the series is far from over, and if there’s one thing the Thunder have shown all season, it’s resilience.

Game 4? Buckle up. If Game 3 was an explosion, we might just be heading for a fireworks finale.