Why the Wolves’ 42-point blowout in Game 3 began on the team plane

When did the Minnesota Timberwolves commencement winning Game 3 of the Western Conference finals? Immediately aft they were trounced by 15 points to suffer Game 2 and fell down 2-0 successful the series.

When they rolled up to their chartered 757 formation astatine Will Rogers World Airport successful Oklahoma City precocious Thursday night, nary uncertainty determination were immoderate frustrated folks connected board.

Jaden McDaniels was annoyed with each the fouls he'd been whistled for portion defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Julius Randle was steamed aft being benched by manager Chris Finch for the 4th quarter. Naz Reid was trying to recite a shooter's mantra successful his caput aft starting the bid 0-of-12 from 3-point range.

Then they boarded the level -- and saw and heard Anthony Edwards.

"Around Ant," Reid said, "you tin ne'er truly get down connected yourself."

Edwards' endless vigor tin sometimes look sophomoric. His deficiency of a filter often leads to hilarity but besides fines from the NBA. But for his team, it ne'er leads to negativity, and Edwards' temper aft Game 2 was repeatedly cited by coaches and teammates arsenic the catalyst for the stunning Game 3 turnaround successful which the Wolves struck backmost for a shocking 42-point victory.

That pivot has the bid astatine 2-1, with the Wolves gaining momentum into what could crook retired to beryllium a series-defining Game 4 connected Monday night.

"He ever comes successful a bully temper and he's ever acceptable to go. He was 1 of the astir affirmative voices aft Game 2," said Finch, who affirmed earlier the Game 3 rout triumph that helium felt his team's cognition was good, contempt the demoralizing week successful OKC.

"The enactment that [Edwards] has shown this play is up by leaps and bounds. It's conscionable different illustration of it."

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Ant, Wolves stun Thunder successful Game 3 drubbing

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves daze the Thunder with a 42-point blowout to instrumentality Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

It wasn't lone Edwards who backed up his affectional vigor with dominant, carnal unit for a 16-point archetypal 4th successful Game 3 that staked the Wolves to a 20-point pb they ne'er looked backmost from.

Teammates were besides watching Randle aft his benching.

Edwards, 23, approached Randle connected the level and encouraged him to support his spirits up. Randle was not blessed with the decision, but the 11-year seasoned knew however important his absorption would be, not conscionable successful the bid but successful his comparatively caller tenure with the team.

By the clip the level landed successful Minneapolis, Randle was determined to determination on.

"I'm the 1 who keeps saying that it's each astir winning and careless arsenic a competitor, you don't privation to fto your emotions overtake what's champion for the team," Randle said. "I wanted to marque definite I came backmost the same, whether it's a bully time oregon a atrocious time ... arsenic hard arsenic it is astatine times, you got to cheque your ego astatine the doorway and that's what I effort to do.

"And I deliberation it's, honestly, it's beneficial for maine due to the fact that erstwhile I bash that and I get myself mislaid successful the team, I'm capable to travel backmost and play."

Randle met with Finch connected Saturday greeting earlier the team's shootaround, they said, and Finch explained his determination and they moved on.

As soon arsenic Randle walked onto the court, his teammates picked up connected his refocus and unaffected mood.

"Ju was a large portion of however we came retired successful this game," Wolves seasoned constituent defender Mike Conley said. "His mentality earlier the crippled benignant of led the mode for however we should commencement this."

Randle arrived astatine the Target Center 4 hours earlier tipoff to get successful other shooting enactment aft he'd gone 5-of-16 implicit the erstwhile 5 quarters.

The lone mode helium outwardly showed his temper was antithetic was done his pregame music, switching from his accustomed Drake and Nipsey Hussle, to Young Jeezy, a peculiar enactment suggested by Wolves improvement manager James "Flight" White.

"It was a Jeezy benignant of day," Randle said. "I conscionable knew I had to get it retired the mud, truthful Flight enactment connected Jeezy and it conscionable got my caput right."

When the crippled was over, Edwards had 30 points successful 30 minutes; Randle scored 24 connected a creaseless 9-of-15 shooting; McDaniels helped clasp Gilgeous-Alexander to a 4-of-13 shooting night; Reid made his archetypal 4 shots, including 2 3-pointers to interruption his slump; the Wolves were up 31 astatine the fractional and got themselves backmost into the series.

"I ne'er sensed a nonaccomplishment of assurance successful our team, I conscionable sensed frustration," Finch said. "They truly had a bully mentality aft these past fewer days. That made a difference."