Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves - prediction, team news, form guide

1 week ago 15

Sports Mole previews Wednesday's NBA clash betwixt Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves, including predictions, squad quality and signifier guides.

The Oklahoma City Thunder volition question to footwear disconnected 2025 connected a winning enactment erstwhile they invited the Minnesota Timberwolves to the PayCom Center connected Wednesday.

Both teams emerged triumphant from their respective past outings of 2024 and volition beryllium afloat of assurance heading into their archetypal engagement of the caller year.

Match preview

Oklahoma City Thunder guardant Jalen Williams (8) and Oklahoma City Thunder caput manager Mark Daigneault connected November 5, 2024 © Imago

Back connected their location tribunal aft a little two-game roadworthy trip, the Oklahoma City Thunder made airy enactment of the situation of the Memphis Grizzlies courtesy of a commanding 130-106 triumph successful Monday's meeting.

Up by 3 points aft the opening 12 minutes, Mark Daigneault's men seized power of the contention successful the 2nd quarter, astatine the extremity of which they stormed to a 26-point pb and ne'er looked similar relinquishing their advantage.

With the astir frugal defence successful the league taking connected the astir lethal violative unit, the Thunder produced 1 of their champion antiaircraft performances of the play to stifle their high-flying opponents, who tallied their lowest points successful a crippled since aboriginal November.

Winning each of their consequent six outings, the Thunder person enactment their NBA Cup last disappointment down them and are successful arguably their hottest signifier of the play up of a daunting tally of matches.

The Thunder are scheduled to instrumentality connected the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks (twice), the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers implicit their adjacent 5 regular-season games aft their upcoming assignment.

Having been beaten successful 5 of their past six location matches against the visitors, Wednesday's hosts volition beryllium wary of suffering yet different decision successful this fixture for what would beryllium lone a 3rd nonaccomplishment successful beforehand of their fans this term.

Minnesota Timberwolves defender Anthony Edwards connected October 5, 2024 © Imago

The Minnesota Timberwolves showed large mettle to borderline retired the San Antonio Spurs and assertion a hard-fought 112-110 triumph erstwhile the teams squared disconnected against each different astatine the Target Center connected Monday.

Following a dilatory commencement which saw them way by 8 points aft the opening exchanges, Chris Finch's men produced a stunning second-quarter show to spell into the interval up by 12 points, though their vantage was wiped retired successful the 3rd 4th earlier the TWolves rallied successful the last agelong to instrumentality the win.

That was a 3rd consecutive triumph by a single-digit borderline for the Timberwolves, who person present moved up into eighth spot successful the Western Conference, albeit lone 1 triumph shy of the Lakers presently successful fourth.

Fresh disconnected coming nether disapproval for his violative productivity, Donte DiVincenzo has present tallied back-to-back 20-point games with a season-high 26 points past clip retired to pb his caller employers successful scoring.

Aiming to triumph a 4th crippled connected the bounce for lone the 2nd clip this campaign, Wednesday's visitors present acceptable retired to support the juggernaut rolling arsenic they look to rediscover the signifier that saw them scope the past league finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder NBA form:

Minnesota Timberwolves NBA form:

Team News

Oklahoma City Thunder guardant Chet Holmgren connected October 26, 2024 © Imago

Chet Holmgren remains ruled retired with a close iliac hep fracture, portion Alex Caruso and Alex Ducas are unavailable owed to hep and backmost injuries respectively.

Adam Flagler is presently nursing a metacarpal fracture and volition beryllium re-evaluated wrong the adjacent fortnight to find his availability to instrumentality to the fray.

Nikola Topic is ruled retired for the remainder of the play with a torn anterior cruciate ligament but Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort are backmost successful contention aft shaking disconnected wounded scares to diagnostic past clip out.

Daishen Nix and Luka Garza are some battling with ankle injuries astatine the moment, making them immense doubts to play immoderate portion for the Minnesota Timberwolves here.

Nineteen-year-old Rob Dillingham is besides nursing an ankle occupation that has sidelined him for 3 consecutive games, but the rookie could beryllium backmost successful clip to play a portion for the distant side.

Oklahoma City Thunder imaginable starting five:
Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort; Wallace, Williams; Hartenstein

Minnesota Timberwolves imaginable starting five:
Conley, Edwards; McDaniels, Randle; Gobert

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We say: Thunder to triumph by 5+ points

With 15 victories from their past 16 matches, the Thunder are rolling close present and volition backmost themselves to support their winning tally going against a Timberwolves outfit that should enactment up a stern resistance.

We are backing the location broadside to travel retired connected apical astatine the dependable of the last buzzer.

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