The Minnesota Timberwolves had their chances in Game 1, but they were fleeting. The Oklahoma City Thunder flipped the switch in the second half, outscoring the Wolves 70-40 and turning a close contest into a blowout. Their defense was relentless, smothering Minnesota’s offensive rhythm and silencing Anthony Edwards when it mattered most — the star guard went scoreless in the fourth quarter.

But there may have been a reason for his sudden drop-off. Late in the first quarter, Edwards landed awkwardly after driving into the paint and appeared to roll his ankle. He went straight to the locker room for treatment, returning shortly after. Still, he didn’t look the same. The burst, the edge — the signature Ant-Man ferocity — all seemed dulled. And against a locked-in OKC squad, that was enough to swing the tide.

Since returning in the second quarter, Edwards only scored 11. And in his talks with Chris Finch, he did reveal feeling the repercussions of twisting his ankle. “He said it was a bit sore at halftime, but you know, he said he would be fine. So, yeah. Yeah. No, we didn’t talk about it yet,” the Timberwolves head coach revealed.

The warrior that Anthony Edwards is, he has been through worse incidents during this playoff run. Against the Lakers, his collision with LeBron James looked like a certain major injury. But in the next moments, Ant-Man was up and running. However, that was the Lakers. The Thunder’s defense isn’t considerate.

From the moment Edwards returned, OKC offered him no space to breathe. Alex Caruso was stepping up on screens, and they sent doubles. Most shots he took were met with a great contest by the Thunder’s imperious defense. This is what Anthony Edwards has to get used to.

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For a while, since returning to the game, Edwards’ shortcomings could be masked. He had his compatriot Julius Randle enforcing himself against OKC. However, the Thunder found a way around that, too.

OKC’s defense makes the Timberwolves struggle

Julius Randle has silently turned his doubters mute. There were complaints about his inability to perform during the playoffs. But inside a new circle, Randle has found his best form. Even OKC’s elite defense couldn’t hold him down. When the Timberwolves took a first-half lead, Randle was responsible for 20 of the 48 points.

But then they hit a crater. The Thunder recognized the former Knicks All-Star to be the prime threat. So, even though they kept Edwards at Bay, Randle was smothered even without the ball in his hand. In the second half, he only attempted five shots, limiting him to eight points.

OKC did their part in keeping the ball out of his hands, especially at the perimeter from where he launched five threes in the first half. However, Chris Finch also blames himself for not letting Randle take the helm during that time.

“I didn’t see necessarily anything different. That’s on me. I got to get him the ball. I got to get him more involved to start that uh second half,” Finch said about Randle slowing down in the second half.

In hindsight, the Thunder cut the Wolves deep by blocking out passes. They generated 18 assists while committing 17 turnovers. It directly led to a 21-point difference in points off turnovers for the Thunder. Additionally, they held the Timberwolves’ slashers to just 20 points inside the paint.

The issue, hence, is deeper than just getting Randle involved. The star forward got most of his points from triples. The Thunder didn’t allow him to prevail through his natural game. Likewise, Finch really needs to try and decipher how he can crack their impenetrable defense. Because if the Wolves can’t threaten the paint, the Thunder have ball hounds who will eat up the dribblers.