Reid scores 28 as Timberwolves top Thunder, snap 3-game skid

In his first start of the season, Reid finished a point behind his career high last season against Oklahoma City. His NBA rebound high of 18 was also set against The Thunder earlier this month.

“He had a lot of really good games against Oklahoma City,” said Minnesota coach Chris Finch. “I do not know what it is. He feels very comfortable and confident.”

Austin Rivers scored 20 points and Anthony Edwards added 19 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Timberwolves. Minnesota were without injured starters Rudy Gobert (sprained left ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns (pulled right calf) and D’Angelo Russell (bruised left knee).

Reid helped make up for those absences by scoring 11 of 18 field goals and catching nine rebounds.

“We fought our way through a lot of things out there, adversity,” Finch said. “Some of it self-imposed, some of it environmental. But boys stuck with it. Could have easily ducked their heads but they kept fighting.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points and Josh Giddey added 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Thunder, who lost their fifth straight win. Oklahoma City lost by two points to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

“If you lose, it sucks and the emotions can get to you,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But you’re never as far off as you think you are when you lose, you’re never as good as you think you are when you win by two. So we just have to keep our heads down, improve and build the right habits and move forward from here.”

Reid scored 16 points in the first half to give the Timberwolves a 63-50 lead.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who went into the night as the NBA’s third-best scorer at 31 points per game, had just nine in the first half before bringing the Thunder back into play with 23 points in the third quarter. He hit a short jumper while fading sideways to the right in the final seconds of the quarter to level it at 88. Oklahoma City’s Lindy Waters stole Minnesota’s inbounds pass, then hit Aaron Wiggins from nearly 30 feet to close the quarter and give the Thunder the lead.

The game stayed tight until the fourth. Reid missed the first of two free throws by 4.9 seconds and made the second to put the Timberwolves 112-109. Gilgeous-Alexander was fouled on the ground before launching a 3-pointer. He made the first free throw and missed the second on purpose, but the Thunder were called out for a lane violation.

On the other side, Edwards missed two free throws and the Thunder grabbed the rebound on the second miss with 2.6 seconds left. But Oklahoma City ran out of timeouts, and Giddey’s throw from about 50 feet missed badly as time went on.

TIP INS

Timberwolves: Minnesota beat the Thunder 11-1 on free throws in the first half, but Oklahoma City beat Minnesota 17-14 from the line in the game. … Rivers was given a technical foul in the fourth quarter. … Minnesota shot 50% from the field in the first half and went 6-of-13 with 3 pointers.

Thunder: F Darius Bazley (illness) and F/C Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (sprained right ankle) sat out. … C Mike Muscala hit a 3-buzzer from the right corner late in the first quarter to cut Minnesota’s lead to 30-28.

NEXT

Timberwolves: host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Donner: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

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