The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a 143-101 blowout win against the OKC Thunder in Game 3 of the Conference Semis.
Anthony Edwards once again led the scorers as he added 30 points on an efficient 70.6% shooting from the field.
After a disappointing Game 2 performance from Julius Randle, the veteran player stepped up and scored 24 in Game 3 to help his side to a win.
It was sheer dominance from tip-off to the final buzzer as the Minnesota Timberwolves completely outplayed the OKC Thunder to make their way back into the series.
The bench in particular was brilliant for the T-Wolves in the game as they racked up 66 points as compared to OKC’s 50.
One player in particular who was brilliant off the bench was Terrence Shannon Jr.
Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty ImagesRose points out the impact Timberwolves bench had
Shannon Jr. scored 15 points in 13 minutes of action off the bench and elevated the performance of the second unit.
The rookie was brilliant on both ends of the floor and left the court with a +/- of +11, which indicates how splendid he was for Chris Finch’s side.
Jalen Rose in his post-game analysis spoke on the impact the Timberwolves bench had on the game and highlighted Shannon Jr.’s points to showcase how good they were.
He said: “Terrence Shannon had six points for the playoffs, he had 15 today and SGA had 14- the MVP of the league, the lowest that he had all season.
“So I expect OKC to respond, but I also expect Minnesota to be better.”
Rose also highlighted how the other role players on the Timberwolves stepped up to lead the team to a win.
“I liked how multiple players were playing well, Alexander-Walker giving them the minutes, DiVincenzo giving them the minutes and so role players usually play better at home, that’s what we saw from Minnesota today,” he added.
Minnesota Timberwolves bench will have to continue being impactful
The Timberwolves have some great bench players, who can step up for the team when needed.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had some strong words after the Game 2 loss, he backed that up with a stellar performance in Game 3 where he added 12 points off the bench.
With players like Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Alexander-Walker himself, the Timberwolves have the depth needed to compete at a high level.
But they are up against the Thunder, who also have some great role players, which is why it is important they step up for the team.
The blowout win is certainly going to give the Timberwolves a huge boost of confidence going into Game 4, but they will be well aware that the Thunder have the ability to bounce back stronger.
However, if they display a similar level of resilience with the bench also stepping up, the Timberwolves could win Game 4 and make the series interesting.