Make it 2-1 in the West Finals, after Ant & the Wolves slammed home their first win.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
May 25, 2025
Wolves Roll: Ant Edwards leads Wolves to huge Game 3 win to get back into series
Reserves Rise Up: Rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. & the Wolves bench shines in Game 3
Siakam Spotlight: The Game 2 star brings championship experience to Pacers’ run
NY On The Road: Knicks look to improve on their 5-1 road Playoff record tonight
Chasing History: An all-access look inside the wild 2025 NBA Playoffs so far
BUT FIRST … ⏰
East Finals back in Indianapolis…
The East Finals resume tonight (8 ET, TNT), as the Pacers host the Knicks with Indy seeking a commanding 3-0 lead and New York looking for its first win in the Conference Finals since 2000.
In another New York-Indiana clash, the WNBA’s Liberty defeated the Fever Saturday in a 90-88 thriller between the defending champs and a rising Indy squad led by reigning Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
1. EDWARDS, WOLVES STRIKE BACK WITH DOMINANT HOME WIN
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Down 2-0 in the West Finals, Anthony Edwards said the Wolves had to come out with the right energy in Game 3.
He set the tone by singlehandedly outscoring the Thunder 16-14 in the 1st Q, sparking the Wolves to their first win of the series.
Timberwolves 143, Thunder 101: Edwards (30 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast, 5 3pm) and Julius Randle (24 pts) led seven Wolves in double figures as Minnesota took the lead with 9:25 left in the 1st quarter and never trailed again, cutting their deficit to 2-1. | Recap | 5 Takeaways
- Howling Offense: The Wolves set a franchise record for points in a Playoff game, while shooting 57.3% overall and 50% from 3 – the best shooting splits in a Playoff game in franchise history and the top mark of any team in the 2025 postseason
- Winning Ways: Minnesota improved to 5-1 in franchise history when posting 50-50 shooting splits in a Playoff game and 13-2 this season (regular and Playoffs) when hitting at least 20 3s
- Lockdown Defense: Minnesota held OKC to its 2nd-lowest point total (101) and 3rd-lowest shooting percentage (40.7%) of these Playoffs. Minnesota posted a 99 defensive rating, improving to 18-2 this season when they hit that mark or better
- “Our defensive intensity... our willingness to help each other. It starts with our defense” – Randle when asked entering the 4th quarter about the key to Minnesota’s Game 3 success
At just 23 years old, Edwards continues to etch his name into the Wolves record books as he takes his game and leadership to new heights.
- Give Me Half: With his 15th career 30+ point game in the Playoffs, Edwards now owns half of the 30 such games in Wolves franchise history. The next closest? Kevin Garnett with 7 30+ point games
- Finding His Range: After shooting just 4-of-17 (23.5%) in the first two games of the series in OKC, the league’s leader in 3-pointers this season hit 5-of-8 (62.5%) from deep in Game 3
- “He’s the definition of selfless.“ Randle praised Edwards’ leadership qualities and positive outlook
- “The leadership that he has shown this season has come leaps and bounds.” – Coach Finch on Edwards’ growth in his 5th season
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While Edwards led the way, Saturday’s win was about the entire pack of Wolves – starting with Julius Randle.
- Randle’s Rebound: After being held to a Playoff career-low six points in Game 2, the Wolves went to Randle early in Game 3. He responded, scoring Minnesota’s first four points on his way to 24 for the game on 9-of-15 shooting
- Follow The Trend: Game 2 marked the seventh time that Randle was held under 10 points this season. In the following game, he’s now averaging 21.7 pts, 7.4 reb, 4.9 ast and 54.9% shooting – the Wolves are 6-1 in those games
- Ant On Julius: “He’s a vet. He knows how to respond… He came in with the right energy at shootaround this morning, I could see it in his eyes. He wanted his respect back, and he got it.”
What’s Next: OKC leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Monday in Minnesota (8:30 ET, ESPN).
2. MINNESOTA’S DEPTH SHINES AT HOME
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Entering Saturday night, rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. had appeared in six of Minnesota’s 12 Playoff games – totaling six points in just over 20 minutes on court.
But when his name was called to start the 2nd quarter of Game 3, he was ready.
- Instant Impact: In a four-minute stretch, Shannon Jr. had nine points and a steal to help the Wolves extend their lead to 26 points with 7:50 left in the 1st half
- “Naz Reid Treatment“: The rookie’s effort ignited the Target Center crowd to a level usually reserved for last season’s Kia Sixth Man of the Year among Minnesota bench heroes
- Shannon Jr.’s Mindset: “Just be the best teammate I can be. During the meantime, when my name is called, I do what I do.”
- Ant On The Rook: “TJ came in and brought ultimate energy. We can’t ask for nothing more. He came in and made all the right plays. Attacked the basket with aggression, he came up big for us tonight.”
Shannon Jr. finished with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 13 minutes, leading the Wolves to post a season-high 66 bench points and a 14-point advantage over the Thunder bench.
- Favorite Foe: Shannon Jr.’s 2nd- and 3rd-highest scoring performances of the regular season came against OKC – 17 and 13 points, respectively – and both resulted in wins. He’s now 3-0 when scoring 10+ points against OKC
- Party of 3: Shannon Jr. joined Stephon Marbury and Dean Garrett as the only Wolves rookies to score 15+ points in a Playoff game – Shannon Jr. is the first to do so as a reserve
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In addition to Shannon Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker (12 pts, 2 ast), Leonard Miller (11 pts, 5-6 FG) and Reid (10 pts, 8 reb) all reached double figures off the bench for the Wolves.
- Triple Time: NAW (2-4), Reid (2-3) and Donte DiVincenzo (2-2) each hit a pair of 3s off the bench as Minnesota’s reserves combined to shoot 9-of-17 (52.9%) from beyond the arc
- Home Cookin’: The Wolves bench players are shooting 12.1% better from the field (47.6% at home vs. 35.5% on the road) and 10% better from 3 (37.8% at home vs. 27.8% on the road) at Target Center during the postseason
As the Wolves try to even the series on Monday (8:30 ET, ESPN), can they get another top-to-bottom effort from their lineup with their home crowd behind them once again?
3. SIAKAM KEY TO PACERS’ PLAYOFF RUN
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“We feel that his unique offensive skillset will complement our style of play,” said Kevin Pritchard, Indiana’s President of Basketball Operations, back in January 2024 when acquiring Pascal Siakam.
Friday night, the 2019 NBA champion lived up to that billing.
The Pacers pushed their lead to 2-0 over the Knicks in the East Finals as Siakam posted a Playoff career-high 39 points. They return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3 tonight (8 ET, TNT) needing two more triumphs to reach the Finals for the first time since 2000.
- A Siakam Special: He led Indiana with 20.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 78 total starts across the regular season. Game 2 marked the highest-scoring outing of his 1.5 years with the team
- Winning Impact: The group also boasts a 10.6 NetRtg these Playoffs with the 9th-year forward in the game – higher than any other Pacer
“He did a great job of making big shot after big shot after big shot, killing momentum,” said Tyrese Haliburton. “… a lot of those shots can be back-breakers at times.”
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Odds are that if Siakam is hot, the players around him are on the right path. That’s been a perpetual truth both this season and throughout his career.
- Crucial Contributor: He has dropped 20+ points on 48 occasions in 2024-25 and Indiana is 31-17 in those games
- Retrospective: Across his NBA journey, Toronto and Indiana are 56-20 when he’s scored 30 or more. That’s a 73.6% winning percentage, which ranks 5th-best among players with at least 50 such instances since he entered the league in 2016-17
His efficiency with the ball in his hands has distinguished him among a legion of star scorers still in the championship hunt.
- Balanced: Siakam is one of only two players this postseason shooting at least 50% off drives, 40% off catch & shoot shots, 40% off post touch shots and 70% on paint touch shots. The other? Kawhi Leonard, who Siakam won the title with in 2019 with Toronto
“He’s a veteran who’s been in these situations multiple times,” said coach Rick Carlisle. “He understands the importance of patience and being disciplined.”
4. KNICKS SEEK CONTINUED PLAYOFF ROAD SUCCESS
Staring down a 2-0 deficit after Game 2, Karl-Anthony Towns reiterated his confidence.
- “We’re not here to repeat (history), we’re here to make it,” he said.
For New York to join the 7.8% of teams (28-329) that have overcome 2-0 series deficits in Playoff history, the climb won’t be easy.
Road trips, though, are where the squad has often found its footing.
- The Knicks pay their first visit of the East Finals to Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight for Game 3 against the Pacers, having surrendered two to the reigning conference finalists at home
- Road Success: New York is 5-1 on the road this postseason, with all five wins coming by three points or less
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“If I’ve learned anything – especially last year – as quick as you can win two games is as quick as you can lose two games,” Towns said.
- Standing Tall: Tom Thibodeau’s crew has bolstered its DefRtg to 110.8 when playing in opponents’ domains during these Playoffs compared to 114.6 at Madison Square Garden
- Limiting Looks: The Knicks tend to restrain opposing production when playing the role of visitor. Marks of 42.8 Opp FG% and 31.7 Opp 3P% are both lower than what NY allows at home
- Finding Nylon: Shooting from beyond the arc also improves notably for the Knicks. Their 38.9 3P% on the road ranks 4th-best among all Playoff teams – 6.1% better than their home percentage
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Jalen Brunson is on a roll unseen in over 15 years. He tallied 79 points through Games 1 and 2, good for the most to begin any Conference Finals series since LeBron James racked up 84 in 2009.
- Dynamic Duo: The 7th-year guard has averaged 50.8 ppg combined with Towns throughout all away competition in 2024-25
- Unflappable: With Brunson, the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, the team has yet to lose across five road contests decided in the clutch this postseason, all while posting a stifling DefRtg of 75.0
“We’ve been in positions where we’ve been counted out, and we found a way to win,” Brunson said. “Just one step at a time.”
5. CHASING HISTORY: ALL-ACCESS PASS TO THE PLAYOFFS
In the NBA Playoffs, every game tells a story.
From historic comebacks, game-winners, buzzer-beaters, bitter rivalries and transcendent performances, the 2025 NBA Playoffs have been one-of-a-kind.
And the NBA’s all-access cameras are capturing all of it.
Chasing History – the league’s all-access series documenting the NBA Playoffs and Finals, narrated by Jamal Crawford – is now in its third year, giving fans a first-hand look at history in the making.
Before tonight’s pivotal Game 3 in Indy, let’s take a look back at how the two Conference Finals matchups came to be and relive the biggest moments of each series so far.
- Knicks, Pacers Slay East Giants: Go behind the scenes as the Knicks knocked off the defending champion Celtics and the Pacers eliminated the East top-seed Cavs to reach the East Finals
- Thunder, Wolves Reach West Finals: An inside look at how the Thunder outlasted the Nuggets in seven games and how the Timberwolves overcame the Warriors to return to the West Finals
The history didn’t stop once the Conference Finals began. In fact, it was just getting started.
- OKC’s Opening Statement: After dropping Game 1 of the West Semis, SGA and the Thunder made sure not to repeat that pattern in Game 1 of the West Finals
- Indiana’s Miracle Win: Get an inside look as the Pacers wage a historic comeback in Game 1 of the East Finals and stun the Knicks at MSG
- MVP Performance: SGA received the Michael Jordan trophy as the Kia NBA MVP, then dropped 38 points in the Thunder’s Game 2 win
- Pacers Keep Rolling: Pascal Siakam kept his eyes on the prize after dropping 39 points in Game 2: “At the end of the day, we’ve got to get 4 wins.”
