Minnesota Timberwolves DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert put in a disappointing 21-minute effort in Tuesday's Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, tallying only two points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in a 114-88 loss. He finished 1-for-3 from the field and missed both of his free throws. The Thunder are well-equipped in the paint with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren, and Gobert has to contribute a lot more for Minnesota to have a chance at making it into the NBA Finals. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year has averaged only 1.3 blocks this postseason, while notching 8.3 points and grabbing 9.0 rebounds.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards struggled to make an impact in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, settling for 18 points in a 114-88 loss. Edwards hurt his right ankle late in the first quarter but still logged a team-high 37 minutes of playing time. Additionally, he led the Timberwolves with nine rebounds and registered three assists and one block, shooting 5-for-13 from the field with a 3-for-8 record from deep. Edwards has averaged 20 shot attempts per game this postseason, so it's quite an achievement for the Thunder to limit him to just 13 shots. Remarkably, this also marks only the second game in the playoffs where Edwards didn't reach the 20-point plateau. We can expect him to come back with a much stronger effort in Game 2.

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle maintained his hot hand in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder but couldn't save his squad from a 114-88 defeat. The former Knick put up a team-high 28 points on 9-for-13 shooting, tallying eight rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Randle made five triples with six attempts but also committed five turnovers in the game. While Randle has been hot offensively in the postseason, his ball-handling has been poor in recent games, with this being his fourth consecutive outing with at least four turnovers. Against a top team like the Thunder, Minnesota cannot afford any sloppiness in its game, and Randle must lead the way alongside Anthony Edwards.