Terrence Shannon Jr. Shines as Timberwolves Crush Thunder in Game 3

The Minnesota Timberwolves delivered a resounding statement in Game 3 of their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, securing a dominant 143-101 victory. While Anthony Edwards led the charge with an impressive 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, the spotlight also shone brightly on rookie Terrence Shannon Jr., whose impactful performance off the bench ignited the Target Center crowd and shifted the momentum in favor of the Timberwolves.

This article delves into Shannon Jr.'s contributions, the key stats from the game, and the overall narrative that unfolded as Minnesota breathed new life into the series.

Terrence Shannon Jr.'s Spark Plug Performance

Terrence Shannon Jr.'s energy was palpable from the moment he stepped onto the court. In just 13 minutes of play, he racked up 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. His aggressive drives to the basket, confident shooting, and defensive hustle provided a significant boost to the Timberwolves. His +/- of +11 was also notable given his limited minutes.

Here's a breakdown of Shannon Jr.'s key contributions:

• Instant Offense: Shannon Jr. wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring 7 quick points within his first 3 minutes on the floor.
• Energy and Hustle: His relentless pursuit of loose balls and willingness to attack the basket injected much-needed energy into the Timberwolves' lineup.
• Crowd Engagement: Shannon Jr.'s exciting plays quickly won over the Target Center crowd, creating an electric atmosphere that fueled the Timberwolves' run.

A highlight video of Terrence Shannon Jr.'s performance can be seen below:

His impact was so immediate that it drew comparisons to another fan favorite, Naz Reid. However, when asked about it, Shannon Jr. humbly responded, "Nobody gets the Naz Reid treatment," acknowledging Reid's unique status among Timberwolves fans. Check out the interview here.

Key Stats from the Timberwolves' Dominant Victory

Beyond Shannon Jr.'s individual brilliance, the Timberwolves' Game 3 win was fueled by a collective effort and several outstanding statistical performances. Here's a look at some of the most significant numbers:

• Franchise Playoff Record: The Timberwolves' 143 points marked a new franchise record for scoring in a playoff game.
• First-Half Firepower: Minnesota exploded for 72 points in the first half, also a franchise record.
• Dominant First Quarter: The Timberwolves outscored the Thunder 34-14 in the opening quarter, setting the tone for the entire game.
• Anthony Edwards' Efficiency: Edwards scored 30 points on a highly efficient 70.6% shooting from the field in just three quarters.
• Bench Production: The Timberwolves' bench unit outscored the Thunder's starters by a significant margin, 66-49.

These numbers highlight the Timberwolves' offensive explosion and their ability to control the game from start to finish.

The Broader Context: Timberwolves Back in the Series

After falling into a 2-0 hole in Oklahoma City, the Timberwolves desperately needed a win in Game 3 to avoid a near-insurmountable deficit. Their dominant performance not only secured the victory but also injected a renewed sense of confidence and belief into the team and their fans.

Here's what the Game 3 win means for the Timberwolves:

• Series Momentum: The Timberwolves have seized back some momentum in the series and proven they can compete with the Thunder at a high level.
• Home-Court Advantage: With the series shifting back to Minnesota, the Timberwolves have an opportunity to even the series and put pressure on the Thunder.
• Confidence Boost: The dominant win provides a significant confidence boost for the entire team, particularly the younger players like Shannon Jr.

Fan Reactions and Social Media Buzz

The Timberwolves' Game 3 performance ignited social media, with fans expressing their excitement and appreciation for the team's effort, especially Terrence Shannon Jr.'s contribution. The Timberwolves faithful took to platforms like Reddit to share their thoughts and celebrate the victory.

Here are some examples of the online buzz:

• A Reddit thread titled "Terrence Shannon Jr. appreciation post" garnered significant attention.
• Another post humorously captioned, "Smile if you're getting outplayed by Terrence Shannon Jr," featured images of Thunder players.
• A fan enthusiastically declared, "Terrence Shannon Jr tonight: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 13 minutes" and asked, "Gimme an oh hell yeah."

These reactions underscore the impact of Shannon Jr.'s performance and the overall excitement surrounding the Timberwolves' resurgence in the series.

Left-Handed Lineup

Interestingly, Terrence Shannon Jr. is a left-handed shooter. In the 2025 NBA season, left-handed shooters made up only 9% of the league's players, but 15% of those in the conference finals. Other Timberwolves who are left-handed include Mike Conley and Julius Randle.

Game 3 Box Score

Below is the box score of the Timberwolves - Thunder Game 3:

| | | |----------|----------| | [](/OKC) **101 - 143** [](/MIN) | | | **Box Scores: [NBA](http://www.nba.com/game/OKC-vs-MIN-0042400313/box-score) - [Yahoo](https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/scoreboard/)** | | | | | | | | | **GAME SUMMARY** | | | **West Conf. Finals - Game 3 - OKC leads 2-0** | | | **Location:** Target Center | | | **Officials:** John Goble, Curtis Blair, Josh Tiven, and Gediminas Petraitis | |

| **Team** | **Q1** | **Q2** | **Q3** | **Q4** | **Total** | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | Oklahoma City Thunder | 14 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 101 | | Minnesota Timberwolves | 34 | 38 | 35 | 36 | 143 |

| | | |----------|----------| | | | | **TEAM STATS** | |

| **Team** | **PTS** | **FG** | **FG%** | **3P** | **3P%** | **FT** | **FT%** | **OREB** | **TREB** | **AST** | **PF** | **STL** | **TO** | **BLK** | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | Oklahoma City Thunder | 101 | 35-86 | 40.7% | 14-44 | 31.8% | 17-19 | 89.5% | 5 | 41 | 19 | 20 | 5 | 14 | 3 | | Minnesota Timberwolves | 143 | 55-96 | 57.3% | 20-40 | 50.0% | 13-17 | 76.5% | 11 | 57 | 30 | 18 | 6 | 10 | 3 |

| | | |----------|----------| | | | | **PLAYER STATS** | |

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | **[](/OKC) Oklahoma City Thunder** | **MIN** | **PTS** | **FGM-A** | **3PM-A** | **FTM-A** | **ORB** | **DRB** | **REB** | **AST** | **STL** | **BLK** | **TO** | **PF** | **±** | | Jalen Williams^SF | 24:43 | 13 | 3-9 | 2-5 | 5-6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -31 | | Chet Holmgren^PF | 20:48 | 10 | 3-7 | 1-4 | 3-3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -8 | | Isaiah Hartenstein^C | 19:06 | 6 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -31 | | Luguentz Dort^SG | 21:45 | 6 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -22 | | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander^PG | 27:38 | 14 | 4-13 | 2-5 | 4-4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | -32 | | Cason Wallace | 15:38 | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -30 | | Alex Caruso | 09:44 | 3 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -16 | | Isaiah Joe | 17:25 | 2 | 1-7 | 0-5 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -8 | | Jaylin Williams | 17:01 | 2 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 2-2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -7 | | Aaron Wiggins | 16:11 | 5 | 2-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -12 | | Ajay Mitchell | 18:39 | 14 | 6-11 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -12 | | Kenrich Williams | 13:49 | 8 | 4-6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -3 | | Dillon Jones | 09:20 | 10 | 4-5 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | | Ousmane Dieng | 06:36 | 6 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Nikola Topić | 00:00 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | **[](/MIN) Minnesota Timberwolves** | **MIN** | **PTS** | **FGM-A** | **3PM-A** | **FTM-A** | **ORB** | **DRB** | **REB** | **AST** | **STL** | **BLK** | **TO** | **PF** | **±** | | Jaden McDaniels^SF | 26:16 | 10 | 3-9 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 28 | | Julius Randle^PF | 29:57 | 24 | 9-15 | 2-5 | 4-4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 38 | | Rudy Gobert^C | 28:10 | 7 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23 | | Anthony Edwards^SG | 29:42 | 30 | 12-17 | 5-8 | 1-2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 36 | | Mike Conley^PG | 21:42 | 6 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | | Donte DiVincenzo | 16:19 | 6 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | | Naz Reid | 18:57 | 10 | 4-6 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 23 | | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 18:24 | 12 | 5-9 | 2-4 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 15 | | Terrence Shannon Jr. | 13:12 | 15 | 5-8 | 1-3 | 4-4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | | Jaylen Clark | 08:43 | 4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | | Rob Dillingham | 07:31 | 1 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Josh Minott | 07:22 | 0 | 0-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Leonard Miller | 07:22 | 11 | 5-6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Luka Garza | 04:47 | 7 | 3-3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | | Joe Ingles | 00:00 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

Looking Ahead

The Timberwolves' Game 3 victory has set the stage for a potentially thrilling series. With the momentum now on their side, they will look to capitalize on their home-court advantage and even the series in Game 4. Terrence Shannon Jr.'s emergence as a reliable contributor adds another dimension to the Timberwolves' lineup and provides a glimpse into the team's bright future.