Rudy Gobert combative but Minnesota falls behind 3-1 against Thunder

NBA - Despite a solid game from Rudy Gobert, Minnesota suffered a narrow home loss against Oklahoma City (126-128). Thunder now leads 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

By@Gabriel Pantel-Jouve

00h00

Rudy Gobert combative but Minnesota falls behind 3-1 against Thunder

Photo Credit : NBA League pass

Rudy Gobert delivered a complete performance (13 points on 5/8 shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 assists) on Monday night in Game 4 between Minnesota and Oklahoma City. But the French center couldn’t prevent another defeat for his team, who lost 128-126 at home to a Thunder team led by a brilliant Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Wolves are now with their backs against the wall, trailing 3-1 in this conference final.

Thunder one game away from the Finals

The Thunder’s response after the beating they took in Game 3 was immediate. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in MVP mode (40 points on 13/30 shooting, 10 rebounds, 9 assists), Oklahoma City imposed their rhythm from the start and never really let Minnesota settle in. Jalen Williams (34 points on 13/24, including 6/9 from 3-point range) and Chet Holmgren (21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) were excellent lieutenants in holding off the Timberwolves’ comeback attempts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝟒

40 PTS (playoff career-high)
9 REB
10 AST

Only the 4th player in history to achieve a 40/5/10 in Western Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/LDtM4xitZj

— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) May 27, 2025

For the Wolves, Rudy Gobert was the most effective starter with the best +/- (+4) among the starting five. He made his presence felt with his impact and mobility. But the outside shooting of Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points on 5/8 from 3-point range) and Donte DiVincenzo (21 points, also 5/8 from deep) wasn’t enough to reverse the trend.

Anthony Edwards had a difficult night, limited to 16 points on 5/13 shooting and well contained by Luguentz Dort. The Wolves turned the ball over 23 times, giving too many opportunities to an opportunistic and aggressive OKC team.

RUDY GOBERT 😤😤😤 pic.twitter.com/JRBTeqvije

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 27, 2025

The game came down to the final seconds. After two successful free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander (12/14 from the line), Anthony Edwards tried to keep hope alive at the line but couldn’t secure his own rebound after an intentionally missed free throw. The final attempt to tie the game with 0.3 seconds left came up empty.

Minnesota will now need to accomplish the feat of winning in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night to stay alive in this series.