For the second consecutive year, the Minnesota Timberwolves saw their season end just shy of the NBA Finals.
After Wednesday’s 124-94 Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony Edwards assured fans he would put in the work to come back stronger.
“I’m going to work my butt off this summer,” Edwards said after the game. “Nobody’s going to work harder than me this summer. I’ll tell you that much.”
The Timberwolves’ playoff run was derailed by the top-seeded Thunder, led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Despite finishing the regular season with 27.6 points per game, fourth in the NBA, Edwards was limited to under 20 points in three of the five games in the conference finals.
In the elimination game, he managed 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting, with three turnovers.
“They were the better team. They came out and beat us, punched us in the face,” Edwards admitted. “And we lost the game, we lost the series.”
Coach Chris Finch echoed that assessment, saying: “We lost our connectivity. But all credit to the Thunder. They certainly deserved this. They played outstanding. We came up short in a lot of ways.”
another season for the books.
thanks for all the love and support, Wolves fans. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/RnvChXSTtg
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 29, 2025
Minnesota were undone by 21 turnovers that led to 18 Thunder points and saw them trail by as many as 39 – their largest deficit of the season, surpassing the 36-point gap the New York Knicks had built in December.
The Timberwolves’ supporting cast also struggled. Nickeil Alexander-Walker went scoreless on 0-for-8 shooting, Jaden McDaniels managed five points, and Donte DiVincenzo had six. Starting center Rudy Gobert added just two points, while point guard Mike Conley didn’t score at all.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, had five players score in double digits, with Gilgeous-Alexander pacing them with 34 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Finch suggested that the team could use a deeper rotation moving forward: “I think we definitely need to lengthen the rotation,” he said. “We got some young guys who are itching to play and I know can help us.”
While the exit stung, Edwards looked at the bigger picture and his own growth, having just wrapped up his fifth NBA season.
“I don’t know why people would think it would hurt. It’s exciting for me,” Edwards said.
“I’m 23. I get to do it a whole bunch of times. I’m hurt more so for Mike. I came up short for Mike. We tried last year, we couldn’t get it. We tried again this year. We’ll try again next year. But hurt is a terrible word to use. I’m good.”
Despite being swept on the road in the conference finals, the Timberwolves had a strong run leading up to it.
From March through the second round, they went 25-6, stunned the No.3 seeded Los Angeles Lakers in five games, and toppled the Golden State Warriors in five as well.
