Minnesota Timberwolves against Oklahoma City Thunder Preview: 2025 NBA Playoffs prediction, schedule, who can be seen

Oklahoma City was expected to be here before the season. Minnesota exchanged the fan fan favorite carl anthony cities shortly before the season against Julius Randle-a trade about saving money-but they are again in the final of the Western Conference in a row. And this time they can be better.

When does the Timberwolves start vs. Thunder?

Denver travels on Tuesday, May 20, with a top-off from 8:30 ET to Oklahoma City for game 1 of the series. The rest of the series goes every other day after.

Denver against Oklahoma City Playoffs Schedule 2025

All times are east (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Timberwolves against Thunder; Tuesday, May 20 (8:30 a.m., ESPN)
Game 2: Timberwolves against Thunder; Thu., May 22nd (8:30 a.m., ESPN)
Game 3: thunder against Timberwolves; Sat., May 24th (8:30 a.m., ABC)
Game 4: Donner against Timberwolves; Mon., May 26 (8:30 a.m., ESPN)
Game 5: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Wed., May 28th (8:30 a.m., ESPN)*
Game 6: Donner against Timberwolves; Fri., May 30 (8:30 a.m., ESPN)*
Game 7: Timberwolves vs. Thunder; Sun., June 1 (8 et, ESPN)*

To see players

Jalen Williams

After scoring 20 points against the Grizzlies in all four games of Oklahoma City in the first round, he fought against the Nuggets. With 37.5 percent from the field, J-Dub achieved an average of 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 three points per game. While Williams came through the game 7 on Sunday and scored 24 points at 10 out of 17 shootings, the consistent production against the red-hot timberwolves will be of crucial importance. Since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is probably busy with Jaden McDaniels, Williams' productivity is the key when thunder is to reach the NBA final for the first time since 2012.
–Raphelle JohnsonRotoWorld basketball analyst

Rudy Gobert

After Gobert spent the first two series comparable to Jaxson Hayes and Trayce Jackson-Davis, Gobert will have a much tougher Matchup in the conference final. He has to deal with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, while he still helps watch on trips from OKCs, especially from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Apart from 27 points and 24 rebounds in game 5 in Minnesota against the Lakers, Gobert did not have many strong performances this after season. However, this series will be a more important matchup for him. SGA is in Cade Cunningham with 19.5 drives per game during the playoffs, and as a team, OKC leads all teams in passes in the late season with 22.4 per game. However, if the defense tears become layups. Gobert has to dominate the color for Minnesota during this series to get to the finals for the first time in the franchise story.
–Noah RubinRotoWorld basketball analyst

Key to which one should pay attention to Oklahoma City in Minnesota

Sales

Minnesota becomes a little loose with the ball and has a tendency to turn it around. They did this in 13% of their possessions in the regular season (10th highest percentage in the league). In the playoffs, this has slightly increased to 13.6%. No team has forced sales in the playoffs more than the thunder, which does this in 15.7% of the opponent's possessions.

Ask Denver what happens when you turn the ball around the thunder.

The Timberwolves have to take care of the ball in view of the most printed print and the steel -loyal team of the league. Things will become quick and ugly if they don't, and Minnesota cannot afford to give away games in this series.

Lu there via Anthony Edwards

It is so much fun. There is one of (if not THE) Best on-ball defenders in the league, he is physical and annoying. Anthony Edwards is the all-NBA engine of the offensive of the Timberwolves and a man who puts on the 3 and physically attacks the edge. This is a matchup for the age.

Minnesota will make the point of switching from Ant von Ant, but there are two challenges: 1) Nobody fights for screens in the league and sticks with his assigned man as there; 2) There are no pigeons in the OKC core rotation, there is no easy goal, and attacks. Edwards could try to pursue Holmgren, but he has the length and speed to challenge shots on the edge or on the bow.

Julius Randle/Chet Holmgren

Which great man gives his star guard enough support?

Randle has that this post -season supports an average of 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.9 a game. It took time (most of the season) until Randle found out how to play Ant and next to Rudy Gobert, but when he did it, it dissolved the timber wolves.

This series is a much better Matchup for Holmgren, although Daignault is probably the only large one for extended routes (something that he could not do against Jokic). Holmgren achieves an average of 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and 2.2 blocks per night in these playoffs, but the thunder hopes to get more out of it in this series.
– Kurt Helin, NBC Sports Lead NBA Writer

Predict

Jay Crouche (NBC Sports Lead -Wett Analyst): Donner in 6

This series can be Anthony Edwards' billing. Oklahoma City will force Edwards to make sped-up decisions, and Edwards has not proven that he can solve problem at the highest level (4.5 assists per game up to 3.2 sales per game this season). Minnesota has a sales problem and the defense of OKC is one of the greatest ever in the creation and punishment of sales.

Drew Dinsick (NBC Sports -Wett analyst): Donner in 4

I look at a thunder sweep that probably leads to the Western Conference final and have around 87%to get to the NBA final. In my opinion, this is a perfect matchup for you on both sides of the ball, and I am most interested in seeing whether Daignauch continues to use or choose the double Big set to go small to put Gobert in Harm. The defensive games for the thunder against the offensive of the wolves and especially the ant look ideally and project a rating in the 104S for Minnesota in this series.

Kurt Helin (NBC Sports Lead NBA Writer): Donner in 6

I never thought that I would enter this sentence, but here we are: Minnesota is better this season with Randle instead of cities. This is a balanced, sporty, large and physical team. This is also just a bad matchup for you. For me it comes back to sales, the Timberwolves will cough the ball too much under pressure to beat a thunder team that takes its step.