OKC Thunder fall at the hands of Minnesota 116-106: Player Grades

Best Reserve

Although he only played 11 minutes, Mike Muscala was impactful on both sides of the floor. Not known as a physical player or strong rebounder, he added an injection of competitiveness when he got on the floor. He scored 11 points (4-6 from the field, 1-3 from three, 2-2 from the line) but it was his rebounding Oklahoma City needed. He snared nine rebounds and it inspired the team around him.

This kind of veteran leadership is what the team needs when they hit flat spots. He was great tonight.

Opponent Payer of the Game

Anthony Edwards was a human torch for most of the night, hitting a mix of drives, open jumpers, and tough shots from the perimeter. He’s an outstanding athlete and made the Thunder pay whenever he had the ball. No one in Oklahoma City could stop him.

He finished with 30 points (13-19 from the field, 3-7 from three, 1-3 from the line), 11 rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 34 minutes.

Final Thoughts

The OKC Thunder put up a fight for three quarters before succumbing to Minnesota in the fourth quarter. With Gilgeous-Alexander out, it was already a daunting task to begin the game but losing Giddey all but ensured a TImberwolves victory.

One area of confusion lies in Mark Daigneault’s rotations. He went 12 dead before Minnesota put the game away so he was looking for something. Darius Bazley played just four minutes after impressing in his first two games and Aleksej Pokusevski sat almost three quarters before getting on the floor in the fourth.

It’s something to monitor going forward but overall, it was a solid OKC Thunder performance.