Thunder fall to Timberwolves 116-101 as they struggled to find rhythm

Cannon Chugon February 19, 2025 9:30 am

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered their 10th loss of the season Thursday night, falling 116-101 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who never gave up the lead.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrenece Shannon Jr. (00) celebrates after a shot made by guard Rob Dillingham (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, Feb. 13, in Minneapolis. (ABBIE PARR/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to find his rhythm, shooting just 6-of-21 from the field. Despite missing two of their five starters—Rudy Gobert (back) and Julius Randle (abductor)—the Timberwolves found a spark in Naz Reid. The former Sixth Man of the Year stepped up in Gobert’s absence, posting a game-high 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

OKC’s Isaiah Joe endured a tough night, scoring just one point in 21 minutes while shooting 0-of-5 from the field, finishing with a true shooting percentage of 8.5%. The Thunder never held a lead and trailed by as many as 19 points.

The loss drops Oklahoma City to 44-10, tying them with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings heading into the All-Star break. Two Thunder players will represent the team in Golden State this weekend—Gilgeous-Alexander will be in his third appearance and Jalen Williams is making his All-Star debut. Oklahoma City will look to regroup after the break.