G3 defeat, Thunder players performance revealed, the biggest "sinner" was discovered!

At this critical juncture of the NBA playoffs on May 25, 2025, the Thunder lost to the Timberwolves with a huge gap of 101-143 away, changing the series score from 2-0 to 2-1. The loss of this game exposed many problems of the Thunder.

Judging from the performance of core players, Shea Gilgers-Alexander (SGA), who was elected as the regular season MVP of this season, can be regarded as the biggest "sinner" in the team's loss. He made only 4 of 13 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, scoring only 14 points and 6 assists, but made 4 mistakes, with a plus-negative value as low as -32. On the offensive end, he was hesitant to deal with the ball after being double-teamed by his opponent. The key scoring ability was seriously lacking, and he only won 4 free throws in the game. He was questioned for insufficient intensity of the confrontation and his choice of multiple passes was also criticized, which directly led to the team's offense paralysis.

Jaylen Williams also performed poorly, making 3 of 9 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 5 of 6 free throws, scoring 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, but also made 4 turnovers, plus-minus value -31. The offense and defense are inefficient, and the breakthrough in key rounds is blocked, failing to provide the team with stable output. Luganz Dort made 2 of 4 three-pointers in the game, scoring only 6 points and 1 rebound, with a weak presence on the defensive end and being targeted by his opponents many times. Chet Holmgren made 3 of 7 shots and scored only 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, with insufficient offensive efficiency and failed to effectively limit inside players such as Gobert on the defensive end. In terms of role players, Isaiah Joe made 1 of 7 shots, 0 of 5 three-pointers, scored only 2 points and 3 rebounds, completely silent on the offensive end, and frequently lost positions on the defensive end. Aaron Wiggins was inefficient in shooting, scoring only 5 points and 2 assists, and failed to play the advantage of the front line. Although Caruso maintained strength on the defensive end, he only scored 3 points on 1 of 5 shots on the offensive end, with a plus-minus value of -16. Jarin Williams made no three-pointers on the offensive end and made 0 of 6 shots in 6 defense, targeted on the defensive end, scoring only 2 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Except for Mitchell, the entire bench scored 14 points, while the others scored weakly, which was in sharp contrast to the efficient performance of Shannon on the Timberwolves bench Shannon and Walker on 15 points and 12 points.

Judging from the team data, the team's shooting percentage is only 40.7%, the three-point shooting percentage is 31.8%, and the turnovers are as high as 14 turnovers. This series of bad data shows that the Thunder's condition is extremely poor in this game. Thunder coach Dagenut also has problems with the tactical arrangement, which failed to effectively crack the Timberwolves' defense, especially in limiting Edwards and Randall.

If the Thunder wants to win a game back in G4, they must adjust their mentality, improve the offensive efficiency of core players, strengthen defensive rotation, and improve the depth of substitutes. If Alexander's key ball handling problem cannot be solved, the Thunder may fall into a greater passiveness in this round of the series. Let's wait and see the subsequent games.