Nobody in Minnesota wanted the game to end. As Anthony Edwards intentionally missed a free throw to give the Wolves another opportunity, even a fan somehow helped out. He caught the Thunder’s clearance, forcing the officials to make a controversial decision. The fan caught the ball with 0.6 seconds remaining. But the officials only gave them 0.3 seconds. Why was that the case?

The decision was well thought out. The officials had to consider both sides. The Thunder didn’t want to give the Timberwolves another look at the basket, no matter how less the time seemed. On the other hand, the Wolves didn’t want to be persecuted for a mistake they didn’t commit. The officials decided to be considerate.

As Brett Seigel explained, “0.3 seconds was the ruling, as that is the middle ground for both teams given that OKC’s argument is that time would’ve expired if the fan didn’t touch the ball.” Seigel still points that the ruling was “controversial”. However, in such circumstances, the power to make the decision leans on the officials’ outlook on the situation. And adding 0.3 seconds seemed to be the best case scenario for both teams.

Likewise, the Timberwolves couldn’t afford much except a Hail Mary play. They tried to inbound as close to the rim as possible. However, the Thunder’s Jalen Williams jumped in to steal the ball and finally put an end to the long night. Oklahoma City now holds a 3-1 lead in the series, following a 42-point demolition they suffered in Game 3.

But aside from the controversy, tonight’s Game 4 didn’t follow the general theme of the series. It was an all-out scoring fest, and the Thunder had way too many weapons firing at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Thunder wins the scoring fest against the Timberwolves

So far, the defense has set the tone in the Timberwolves-Thunder WCF series. Either of the teams’ tenacity and zeal disrupted the offense. That’s why all three games experienced a double-digit deficit. Defense did play a role in tonight’s game, too. OKC managed to limit Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle to 5 and 16 points, respectively.

But the other players created a free pass for themselves. The Timberwolves had three 20+ point scorers, the same as the Thunder. Two of those were off their bench, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Donte DiVincenzo. The efficient offense they provided gave the T-Wolves an edge. They shot the ball better for the game, had more assists, and led in almost every statistical category.

But what the Thunder got were ginormous contributions from their young but ‘BIG 3’.

From the 128 points the Oklahoma City Thunder scored, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren accounted for 95. Particularly, the MVP engineered their successful performance, compiling 40 points and 10 assists in his near triple-double night. Williams bounced back with his second 30+ point game performance of the series.

Although defense didn’t stand as the determinant, the Thunder’s vigor made a key difference in their one-possession victory. They generated 14 steals and 5 blocks tonight, hounding every single look the Timberwolves got throughout the game. Aside from the monstrous scoring games, their attacking the ball proved to be the difference-maker tonight.

And now, one of the youngest teams in the NBA this season has a chance to make history. Will the Thunder wrap the series up at home, or do you think Ant-Man and the Timberwolves will bounce back? Let us know your views in the comments below.