Mark Daigneault gives Timberwolves their flowers amid stunning meltdown

Despite holding a 25-point advantage, Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 131-128 in overtime.

Following the defeat, Daigneault praised the Timberwolves, saying, “They continued to play hard and made a great comeback. They deserved to win. As for us, I felt our defense in the second half wasn’t as sharp as it was early in the third quarter.”

In a desperate attempt to salvage the game, a weary Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the basket, only to be denied by Anthony Edwards, who executed a perfectly timed block on what could have been the game-winning shot. This was just one of several missed opportunities for the Oklahoma City Thunder during a disastrous final 17 minutes.

With Chet Holmgren sidelined, the Thunder returned to their most commonly used starting lineup, with Cason Wallace taking his place. This lineup has proven to be one of the league’s most effective, and it was evident early on as the Thunder surged to a 32-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.