A loss doesn’t rattle the Oklahoma City Thunder. They won a franchise-record 68 games in the regular season. However, for any great team, humiliation isn’t something they are used to. In Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, that’s exactly what happened. OKC suffered a beatdown, losing by 42 points. Getting over it is far more difficult than it sounds.
In the playoffs, winning in a road atmosphere is a challenge. But only two teams have ever won a series after losing a game by 40+. Hence, getting their mental state right is vital. Shaquille O’Neal did praise the Thunder because “nothing really messes with their mentals”. But in this case, he does think the first two games of the series made them complacent.
He saw them smiling and celebrating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP crowning. And while he didn’t find anything wrong with it, he feels they underestimated the Timbewolves. Shaq suspects that mental lapse is what opened up the opportunity for the Timberwolves to scorch them. And it might leave a scar.
“Sometimes when you come in and you really think, Oh we got this team, and you don’t really focus and you don’t take that first punch. That Ernie, that first punch was a knockout. And they went to the hospital. And they’re just not waking up this morning,” Shaquille O’Neal says about the Thunder on Inside the NBA.
To a point, the Thunder did seem to be too comfortable in Game 3. The first two games were convincing victories for them. Their physicality and ball pressure had upset the Timberwolves’ rhythm, taking out at least one of either Anthony Edwards or Julius Randle.
But playing at home and with their playoff lives hanging in the balance, the Wolves decided to dial up their ferocity. “I was super happy about the physicality that we brought and the energy that we brought. Being down 2-0 man, it’s all about bringing energy and we brought high-energy,” Edwards said about their Game 3 victory.
May 24, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) during the first half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The Wolves’ defense held the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to a season-low 14 points. With the behemoth force subdued, the Thunder’s supporting case couldn’t back SGA’s off-night, a concern that’s been regularly highlighted for the team.
After such an eye-opening loss, it showed the Thunder they can’t win if they drop their intensity by even a fraction. But even with all the tactical corrections, it’s vital for them to put Game 3 behind them and focus on ahead. It’s not simple, but the mentality in the locker room seems prepared for such situations.
Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t worried about their Game 3 collapse
There were many loose faces on the sidelines while the Wolves dismantled the Thunder. They aren’t used to losses in the first place. But losing by such a vast margin creates doubts about a team’s true vitality in such situations. Head coach Mike Daigneault also acknowledged this.
“We haven’t had a lot of games like that,” he said about Game 3.
But the Thunder are also yet to lose back-to-back games in the playoffs this season. That doesn’t come without an elite mentality. Despite their historic success, OKC hasn’t allowed it to get to their heads. That’s why Daigneault is certain that a 42-point loss won’t cause any discourse for the objective.
“The team’s always done a great job of responding to the emotion of any game, including wins. Let it go and be the best team we could be and throw our best punch and game four,” he said about the message to the locker room.
Coming off a seven-game series and two high-octane performances, maybe it was fatigue. Maybe the Thunder did let those first two games influence their attitude a little bit. However, even with home advantage, OKC doesn’t want another game seven. They know that a series isn’t truly won until they get a win on the road.
That’s the mentality you should expect from them going into Game 4. They got their punch back to reality, now it’s business as usual for the Thunder.
The post Shaquille O’Neal: OKC “Went to the Hospital & Are Just Not Waking Up” as Locker Room State Ahead of Game 4 Emerges appeared first on EssentiallySports.