Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) smiles during a break in play while the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots free throws during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesClemente Almanza, OKC Thunder WireThu, November 27, 2025 at 5:57 AM UTC·11 min readOKLAHOMA CITY — All four teammates covered, Julius Randle froze. Leading by five points with 26 seconds left, the NBA's best defense got a critical stop that slammed the door shut. Except it was unconventional. Minnesota couldn't get an important inbounds as OKC forced a self-inflicted five-second violation.
Bored with blowouts, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a thriller in a 113-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2025 NBA Cup West Group A game put them at 3-0 with a plus-71 point differential.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHeading into this ESPN-only contest, I think everybody expected a classic. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are seen as NBA rivals — even if the fight is fairer from a marketing standpoint than the on-court results. The Thunder and Timberwolves always fight it out.
After two straight meltdown losses, the Timberwolves hoped to right the ship with a signature win. A team dinner the night before was scheduled to correct the vibes. Gilgeous-Alexander's illness should've evened the playing field.
Oh, and of course, this was the first time OKC and Minnesota have shared a court since last year's Western Conference Finals. You can bet the latter had this matchup circled on its calendar. All those ingredients mixed cooked up a game that came down to the final possessions.
The first half was an homage to 2000s basketball. A gritty, low-scoring affair. The Thunder were behind early, but their defense eventually shut down the Timberwolves. The former had a 24-17 lead after the first quarter. Battling a fever, you could tell Gilgeous-Alexander was a step slow and needed to catch his breath longer than usual.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEventually, he snapped out of it. A 25-point second frame had the Thunder up 49-39 at the halftime break over the Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander shrugged off any ailments he might've dealt with. He scored 19 points in the first half alone to create the double-digit lead.
The third quarter saw both teams return to modern basketball. The shot-making was ridiculous. The Timberwolves couldn't miss from the outside. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander returned to being a scoring machine. The points were scored quickly.
The Thunder only scored 29 points in the third quarter. The Timberwolves kept pace. After three frames, the Thunder had just a 78-71 lead. Quite the change from the usual lopsided affairs that afforded the reigning MVP to end his shift early.
Creeping back into it, Edwards got hot. It was primetime, after all. He loves the national spotlight. In a rhythm, he nailed a deep outside jumper to tie it up at 88 points apiece with seven minutes left. As soon as he did that, Gilgeous-Alexander jogged to the scorer's table to check in for some rare crunch-time minutes. Go time.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBoth teams went back and forth. When the Thunder scored a much-needed basket, the Timberwolves sped down the court to answer right back. The game remained within one possession for the next few minutes. After Edwards swished in another deep 3-pointer, OKC only had s 105-104 advantage with a minute left.
What happened in those final moments was another vintage closing job by the Thunder. Struggling for most of the night, Chet Holmgren answered right back with a big-time outside jumper. Minnesota couldn't return the favor. Gilgeous-Alexander added to OKC's lead with a free-throw trip.
Before you knew it, the Thunder scored six straight points. Their lead ballooned to 111-104 with 18 seconds left. The five-second violation was the nail in the coffin of another crunch-time meltdown by Minnesota. For OKC, this was a good exercise to get the heart pumping and win some high-stakes minutes. They scored 35 points in the final frame.
The Thunder shot 48% from the field and went 7-of-26 (26.9%) from 3. They shot 30-of-38 on free throws. They had 19 assists on 38 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGilgeous-Alexander had an efficient 40 points and six assists. Holmgren finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein had 15 points and seven rebounds. Ajay Mitchell scored 15 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves shot 41% from the field and went 17-of-37 (45.9%) from 3. They shot 22-of-37 on free throws. They had 25 assists on 33 baskets. Six Timberwolves players scored double-digit points.
Edwards went off for 31 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Randle had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Jaden McDaniel tallied 10 points and six rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo scored 11 points. Naz Reid had 12 points and Terrence Shannon Jr. had 18 points off the bench.
For everybody discrediting OKC's schedule, this goes under the column of resume-building wins. The Thunder were at risk of getting bored with blowouts, so this stressful win helped change that tempo. They ate the Timberwolves' best punches and still delivered another victory. By now, everybody should know the reigning NBA champions are in a tier of their own.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesAlways respecting Michael Jordan's accomplishments, Gilgeous-Alexander can now say he also has experience with battling through the ailments. As he dealt with an illness, one good pregame warmup was the difference between the reigning MVP sitting out a national TV matchup and him dropping 40 points to help his case this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 40 points on 12-of-19 shooting, six assists and six rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 15-of-17 on free throws. He also had three steals
A slow start looked like dealing with sickness would plague Gilgeous-Alexander. He wasn't at game speed. Taking a little longer to get up after a defensive stop, you could tell he was feeling it. And then, before you knew it, he was about to cross his usual 20-point threshold.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGilgeous-Alexander got into a groove to end the first half. He couldn't miss from the field. Pair that with a whistle-happy referee crew that extended this game to nearly three hours, that resulted in an efficient 40-burger on Thanksgiving Eve.
When Rudy Gobert slowed him down in the paint, Gilgeous-Alexander relied on his mid-range jumper. It's one of the NBA's most unstoppable weapons. Didn't matter how many defenders were in his face, he'd create just enough space to let off an attempt that rattled in.
Going bucket for bucket with Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points in the second half. The Timberwolves couldn't stop fouling. That's poor game recognition on their part. They should've known by that part that this crew would call most fouls. He lived at the free-throw line in the final frame that saw him put away Minnesota.
Credit the Timberwolves for forcing Gilgeous-Alexander to play the fourth quarter. You've seldom seen that this season. But he turned it up another gear when they needed him to. That's what reigning MVPs do. This was another ho-hum clutch performance, with the curveball of dealing with a sickness spicing the storylines up.
Chet Holmgren: B-minus
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesTaking advantage of the double-team Gilgeous-Alexander drew, Holmgren camped at the right corner spot. The ball eventually found its way as Lu Dort drove and kicked it out to him. Loading up, he swished in the outside make to give OKC a four-point lead with 37 seconds.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat's all that matters. Holmgren finished with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block and a steal.
Daigneault called Holmgren's catch-and-shoot bucket the biggest shot of the game. It was much-needed after a forgettable first three quarters. Too often, he goes through peaks and valleys with his offense. This was definitely on the low side of things.
But as the sports cliche goes, it's not how you start but how you finish. Holmgren scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. He knocked down his open looks. When the Thunder needed someone else besides Gilgeous-Alexander to put the ball through the hoop, he hit on some timely buckets.
The Thunder need Holmgren to be more consistent. Especially when he's in the bench lineup minutes. As awesome as they've been this season, there are moments where they go on scoring droughts as Gilgeous-Alexander is resting. That'll be a season-long storyline to follow to see if that improves.
Isaiah Hartenstein: B
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) goes to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) defends during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesRunning a pick-and-roll, Hartenstein has become all of OKC's ball-handlers' favorite partner. Not only does he set physical screens that create space, but he also rolls to the basket and has the widest catch radius among the team. A couple of alley-oops have become a staple in their offense.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHartenstein finished with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-of-6 on free throws. He also had one block and a steal.
The Thunder had one of the greatest seasons ever last year. They had a historic 68-14 record and brought home the Larry O'Brien trophy. Through 19 games this season, they've been better. Someone who deserves a decent slice of credit pie is Hartenstein's ascension.
The Thunder couldn't have asked for more from Hartenstein. He's slowly climbed the ranks of importance on the NBA's deepest roster. Being one of the most efficient scorers in the league has made him an offense-friendly player that any team can seamlessly fit into their system.
Even though they won an NBA championship, Hartenstein's chemistry with the rest of his OKC teammates is at a near-impeccable level. You can see everybody knows where to go at all times to create easy looks. Backdoor passes have become a heavy part of their offense. And that's a credit to the seven-footer's savvy passing skills.
Ajay Mitchell: B-minus
Nov 26, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) gestures to his team during a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesGrabbing Minnesota's miss, Mitchell didn't need much time to make a decision. He was determined to go coast-to-coast in a high-leverage situation. The self-confidence paid off. He went straight at two defenders and muscled his way to the rim. Falling on his back, his layup eventually bounced into the basket.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMitchell finished with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three assists and one rebound. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 3-of-6 on free throws.
This turned into a mini-theme, but Mitchell was another complementary piece who stepped up in the second half. He scored 11 points after the break. It was much of the same as he relentlessly attacked the basket despite paying a physical toll against Minnesota's beefy frontcourt.
Even with recent struggles, the Thunder needed Mitchell to hunt his shot. Especially when Gilgeous-Alexander is off the floor. His hot start has helped them even out in the bench lineup. While he's cooled down a bit, he was able to produce much-needed baskets when needed.
That's all you can ask for from Mitchell. He continues to be a scoring punch off the bench. The 23-year-old is OKC's latest developmental success story. It'll be interesting to see where he goes once Jalen Williams and others eventually return from injury.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHighlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: SGA leads Thunder to 113-105 win over Timberwolves
AdvertisementAdvertisement
