Ant keys emphatic Wolves' response in rout of OKC

MINNEAPOLIS -- As much as the Minnesota Timberwolves' 2-0 deficit in the Western Conference finals showed the gap between them and their opponent, the No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma City Thunder, it was also a referendum on each team's superstar.

Through two games, the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 19 more points than the Wolves' Anthony Edwards and had eight more assists and six more steals.

Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit like the league's 26-year-old MVP while Edwards appeared to be a 23-year-old phenom with room to grow.

In a 143-101 Game 3 win on Saturday in which the Wolves announced their arrival to the series in grand fashion, Edwards not only outplayed Gilgeous-Alexander, he outplayed the entire Thunder team for a stretch.

Edwards singlehandedly outscored Oklahoma City 16-14 in the first quarter en route to a game-high 30 points in 30 minutes. He watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench as Minnesota had already opened up a 37-point lead.

"Just ultimate pressure on the ball and shoot it as much as I can," Edwards said of his approach as the Wolves attempted to avoid falling down 3-0 in the conference finals for the second straight year.

Edwards was 6-for-8 from the field in the first quarter and finished 12-for-17 for the game, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range. He added nine rebounds, six assists and two steals.

The performance came after he shot 4-for-17 on 3-pointers to start the series.

"I feel like the second game I was in a rhythm, it was just my trey ball wasn't falling," said Edwards, who led the league in 3-point makes in the regular season with 320. "Just getting back in the gym, watching shots go in and just keep trusting it. That's all."

It was his 15th career 30-point game in the playoffs, the fifth-most all time by a player aged 23 or younger, trailing only LeBron James (21 games), Kobe Bryant (17), Kevin Durant (17) and Luka Doncic (17).

"That's what we need him to do, and when he does it, it takes us to another level," Wolves coach Chris Finch said. "I thought that's what was really big in the first quarter. He got a couple of those steals. He was all over the place. He knew that we needed that type of start from our defense, and he brought it. It was really, really good."

The Wolves followed Edwards' lead, and their 72-41 halftime cushion represented a franchise record for points in a half in a playoff game.

"He got some early ones easy, and with good players like that, you can't let them get comfortable early or it looks like that," said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was held to 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with six assists and four turnovers.

The Wolves' offensive outburst was fueled by a dynamic defensive effort. They held the Thunder to 40.7% shooting as a team and won the turnover battle, committing only 10 to Oklahoma City's 15.

Not to mention, the 42-point loss represented the largest in Thunder postseason history.

"Honestly, it just shows us, more than anything, of what we're capable of doing," said Wolves guard Mike Conley, one of seven Minnesota players to hit two or more 3s. "So now we've set a standard for ourselves, like, why aren't we playing with this type of effort every night? So if we don't do it the next game, that's on us. It has nothing to do with them."

Minnesota will host Game 4 on Monday (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), back at the Target Center, where the Wolves have gone 5-1 this postseason.

Before leaving the locker room at the end of the night, Edwards was asked if it feels like the series has changed.

"No," Edwards said. "We're still down. It's just one win. Can't get too high on it. Don't get too low. Just got to try to win another one, man. This team, they're the best team in the NBA.

"So, we got to be able to beat this team more than one time, and it's going to be tough."