The Thunder were coming into this game trying to bounce back from their loss the Wizards on Sunday. In that game, the Thunder had issues rebounding the ball on the defensive end and it occurred again tonight. The Timberwolves outrebounded the Thunder on the offensive end 5 times in the last couple of possessions. That would play a huge factor into the Thunder losing the game because of the second chance points. This was one of those games that Andrew Wiggins just couldn’t miss anything it seemed like on the evening. The Thunder had Ferguson, George, and Grant on Wiggins throughout the night and he still finished with a season-high 40 points. Wiggins was making some tough shots in the game and he was that driving force for the Timberwolves while Karl Anthony Towns was in foul trouble.
Both of the big men on both teams were in foul trouble but made their presence known in key moments. The Timberwolves had five players in double figures and were able to continue to push the pace in the game. It seemed as though OKC was chasing the Timberwolves all game and just needed that break to get back in the game. That moment came in the 3rd quarter as the Thunder came out on fire and couldn’t miss anything. Russell Westbrook came out attacking the basket and looked like a totally different player than the first half. In the first half Westbrook was looking to get his teammates involved more and in the second half, it was all about number zero getting into the flow of the game. Westbrook is one of those dynamic players that can change the course of a game at any moment and he did that.
Russell Westbrook was getting the team back within five points and that’s when the game got extremely scary and came to a complete stop. Andrew Wiggins was having his best game of the season as he attacked the rim and went for the monster dunk he was met by Nerlens Noel. When Wiggins went up for the dunk his elbow hit Noel in the face knocking him out in mid-air and then his head disturbingly hit the court twice as it bounced. Noel was trying to brace his fall but wasn’t able to do it and was knocked unconscious. The Thunder medical staff rushed to Nerlens and immediately called for a stretcher to get Noel to a hospital. The whole arena was silent and both teams were praying for Nerlens as this was going on. It was a scary sight to watch and the crazy part was the fact they still had 6:30 mins left in the 3rd quarter to play. The fans were instantly mad at Andrew Wiggins from that point on and booed him every time he touched the basketball. Even after the scary incident the referees still called the foul on Nerlens Noel which the OKC fans didn’t like at all and let it be known.
After Nerlens was sent to the nearby hospital the Thunder still had a game to play. The tempers were definitely in the air as Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder got into it on an inbounds play. Jeff Teague shoved Dennis with an elbow and both proceeded to square up as if they were going to fight. Jeff Teague got ejected and the Thunder dodged a bullet as Schroder was able to stay in the game. The Thunder crowd got into the game, even more, heading into the 4th quarter. The one player that was consistent all game long was Andrew Wiggins he made the Thunder pay on multiple possessions down the stretch whether it was the right pass or the made shot. The Thunder had a couple of last-second chances as Russell Westbrook hit a big 3 pointer to give OKC the lead with little time remaining. The Timberwolves answered and it was Wiggins who delivered the game-winning assist to Josh Okogie for the 3 pointer that sealed the deal for Minnesota. The Timberwolves were able to get their head coach’s first win and it was a huge win in OKC as both teams will meet again two more times in Minnesota.
Photo Credit: StarTribune
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