OKC Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: The top West All-Stars battle it out in the North Star State

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After their massive comeback victory against the Miami Heat Wednesday night 115-101, the Oklahoma City Thunder now begin their three-game roadtrip, with the first game coming against seventh-ranked Timberwolves.

With this game being the first of three total matchups in the span of ten days, these two teams are going to find out what one another are truly made of.

Time and LocationThe OKC Thunder will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Target Center today, Feb. 13, at 8:30 PM EST/7:30 PM CST as well as on TNT.

LineupsFor the Thunder, this should be their potential starters:

Position:Name:Number:Point GuardShai Gilgeous-Alexander2Shooting GuardAaron Wiggins21Small ForwardLu Dort5Power ForwardJalen Williams8CenterIsaiah Hartenstein55As for the Timberwolves, this might be their starting unit:

Position:Name:Number:Point GuardNickeil Alexander-Walker9Shooting GuardAnthony Edwards5Small ForwardJaden McDaniels3Power ForwardNaz Reid11CenterRudy Gobert27InjuriesFor Oklahoma City, Chet Holmgren is listed as day-to-day due to rest. Cason Wallace (shoulder), Ousmane Dieng (calf), Ajay Mitchell (toe), and Nikola Topic (ACL) are all out.

And for Minnesota, Mike Conley (finger), Julius Randle (groin), Donte DiVincenzo (toe), and Jesse Edwards (ankle) are all listed as out for tonight’s matchup.

What to knowThe last time these two teams faced off was back on New Years Eve where OKC beat the Wolves, 113-105. Headed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s crazy 40 points and four steals, Minnesota had no answer for the potential MVP.

But what truly hurt the Timberwolves was the Thunder’s intensity on the defensive end. OKC ended the game with 16 steals and forced 23 total turnovers. Despite Minnesota shooting better from the field overall, they could not win the possession battle.

For Oklahoma City, that is exactly what they are going to have to rely on to win their second matchup of the season. Despite being down by over 20 points to Miami Wednesday night, they were able to win that game due to their stifling defense. Only allowing eight total points in the fourth that game, the Thunder will need to keep up that same defensive pressure in order to win their eight straight game.

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 13, 2025MORE THUNDER CONTENT:Shannon Sharpe of ESPN’s First Take gives his blasphemous take on OKC Thunder

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Brody Bitters

Brody Bitters is a graduate from Butler University, where he studied Sports Media and Strategic Communications for four years. Brody previously worked as a sports reporter in Zanesville, Ohio, where he covered all things athletics from high school football, baseball, and track & field to the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brody played basketball, football, and soccer and is a diehard Buckeye. Moreover, Brody is a massive fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Broncos, which appear random on paper, but have very specific and unique backstories.