Following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ explosive 143–101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their Western Conference Semifinals series, NBA analyst and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley didn’t hold back in sharing his thoughts on the dominating performance — and what it means for the rest of the series.
“This was a grown-man win,” Barkley said during the postgame analysis on TNT. “They came out with fire. That’s what I wanted to see from the Wolves — some urgency, some pride.”
After falling behind in the series, Minnesota entered Game 3 under pressure. From the opening tip, they responded emphatically. Anthony Edwards exploded offensively, Karl-Anthony Towns asserted himself in the paint, and the Timberwolves locked in defensively, holding the Thunder to their lowest scoring output of the series.
Barkley credited both the star power and the collective effort from Minnesota.
“Anthony Edwards — man, that dude is special,” Barkley said. “He came out with that killer mentality. And Karl-Anthony Towns finally played with that edge. That’s the kind of basketball Minnesota needs to play if they want to win this series.”
Barkley also made it clear that while the blowout was impressive, it doesn’t mean the Timberwolves are in control — yet.
“One great game doesn’t mean they’ve figured it all out,” he warned. “Oklahoma City is young, but they’re tough. Game 4 is going to tell us a lot about whether the Wolves are serious or if this was just one hot night.”
The 42-point victory — the largest margin of the 2025 NBA Playoffs so far — sent a clear message: Minnesota isn’t going down quietly. But Barkley emphasized that consistency, not talent, has been the missing ingredient for the Timberwolves in past playoff runs.
“This team’s got all the tools. Defense, size, scoring, depth,” he said. “But now it’s about mentality. Can you do it again in Game 4? That’s what separates contenders from pretenders.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Minneapolis, and all eyes will be on whether the Timberwolves can build on the momentum — or if the Thunder will bounce back and regain control. Regardless of the outcome, Charles Barkley’s words serve as both praise and a challenge to a Timberwolves squad looking to finally make a deep playoff run.
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