With a resounding victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves clinched the eighth seed in the Western Conference and a spot in the playoffs. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a suspension for an altercation with a teammate, while Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Anthony Edwards added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which outscored opponents in the paint 58-30.
The victory sets up a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, which will begin on Sunday night. It'll be a rematch for Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, who previously worked for the Nuggets.
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Despite being without Jaden McDaniels, who broke his hand in the regular season finale, the Timberwolves were able to contain Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the starting lineup. Gilgeous-Alexander had 22 points but shot only 5-for-19 from the field.
The Thunder struggled to keep up with the Timberwolves down the stretch after losing second-overall pick Chet Holmgren to a foot injury before the season.
Minnesota head coach Chris Finch was pleased with his team's performance, saying "The guys were completely focused. They knew what it would take."