By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
The Thunder looks to even the series against the Timberwolves on Friday after falling short of a comeback effort just two days prior. Both teams will battle it out in Paycom Center in front of a Thunder crowd as OKC looks to carry over the lessons and takeaways from the first meeting in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
- Land the First Punch – Look for the Thunder to emphasize a strong start in this matchup. On Wednesday, Minnesota pulled ahead by 20 points after a slow start by the Thunder offensively. Though the Thunder turned the game around and even brought the deficit to just one point in the fourth quarter, getting out to a strong start will be key in setting the tone for the ball game.
- Limit the Miscues – The Timberwolves first quarter offense was fueled, in part, by OKC’s turnovers. Minnesota leads the league in opponent turnover rate and points off of turnovers which meant that once the Thunder shored up its miscues, it was able to get back in control of the game. In addition, the Thunder’s defense worked to create 20 extra points off Minnesota’s 16 turnovers throughout the game. Watch the turnover numbers in this one and which team can capitalize on the other’s miscues.
- Second Chances – In addition to balanced scoring, the Thunder worked to close its 21-point deficit against the Wolves through offensive rebounds and second chance points. By the end of the night, OKC snagged 14 offensive boards that turned into an extra 21 points. Thunder wing Kenrich Williams led the way with five offensive rebounds of his own while rookie Josh Giddey pulled down four. Keep an eye on how the Thunder utilizes the offensive glass in order to generate some extra offense.
The Thunder received a massive spark off the bench from Kenrich Williams on Wednesday. In addition to his 10 points, Williams pulled down a season-high nine rebounds while also logging a season-high-tying four steals.
“He’s probably the most respected guy on the team,” said Thunder assistant coach Mike Wilks. “Guys respect his competitiveness, his toughness. They look to him for a level of leadership. So just to have him out there to help stabilize it’s great for us.”
“It’s good it’s the same team. We can go back, watch the film, we know the game plan, we’ve already done it today. So not much change for Friday. We know what to expect…Friday’s gonna be a good test for us.”
— Josh Giddey on facing the T’wolves again on Friday
Back on Wednesday, the Timberwolves welcomed Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell back into the lineup after clearing the league’s health and safety protocols. Towns finished with a 17-point, 16-rebound double-double, but it was Anthony Edwards who led the Wolves in scoring with 22 points to go along with five steals. Patrick Beverly led the way in 3-point shooting with a season-high five made triples on the way to a season-high 20-point performance.
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