Sacrificing the captain to win the game, Huazi played exactly like the Thunder.

Honestly, sometimes I really admire my own jinxing ability. After the Thunder’s 24-1 run, I said the Thunder hadn’t truly lost a game yet. Then they lost two out of three games, with their only win against the Western Conference’s bottom-ranked Clippers.

Losing to the Spurs, the Thunder were defeated by Wembanyama’s fearsome defense, and his decisive shot at the end was very important. Today’s loss to the Timberwolves again came down to the final moments, this time against the sudden powerhouse Edwards, who shocked everyone.

Just minutes into the game, Timberwolves coach Finch sacrificed himself. Huazi and Randle were repeatedly fouled without calls, Finch exploded, chasing after the referees to protest. Four members of the coaching staff stepped in to restrain him, Finch clocked out early, and this successfully influenced the referees’ calls.

This season, the Timberwolves average about 26 free throws per game, but today they had 47. After Finch’s early outburst, the referees started paying more attention to the Thunder players’ actions and called almost every foul they could. The whistles were frequent in the second and third quarters, with fouls accumulating quickly on both sides.

From an objective standpoint, I liked how the referees officiated today, even though there were 77 fouls combined. But in the final moments of the last quarter, the referees relaxed their calls, allowing more physical contact, and both teams began a real, intense battle.

Alexander was still impressive, scoring 11 points in the final quarter, going from 98 to 105 with a 7-point run, nearly putting the Timberwolves away. But in a critical moment, Dort made a defensive mistake again; he unnecessarily grabbed Randle’s arm off the ball. Randle made two free throws, missed the second, but after Gobert tipped the rebound, the most thrilling moment of the game arrived.

At 107-105, Timberwolves trailing by 2, Huazi, who had been double-teamed all game, faced Wallace one-on-one. Alexander didn’t come to help. Huazi dribbled repeatedly, stepped back to shoot a three-pointer from a 45-degree angle. Wallace’s defense was maxed out, but Huazi nailed the three, putting the Thunder ahead.

In the next defensive possession, Alexander drove in, but Edwards blocked his layup from behind. It wasn’t over yet—on the Thunder’s final desperate attack, Huazi defended Alexander alone and stole the ball directly from him, sealing the game. One offensive and two defensive plays showcased the essence of a superstar.

So far this season, such superstar moments are rare in the league. Edwards has done everything a team leader should do; his teammates created the winning opportunity, he seized it, made no mistakes in the clutch, and finally got some revenge. A superstar deciding a game is what makes the NBA’s best stories.

Last season, the Thunder easily defeated the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Edwards carried the team in four out of five games but lacked a complete offensive arsenal, steady scoring ability, court vision, and passing skills. In clutch moments, Alexander outperformed him, leaving the Timberwolves and Edwards frustrated.

In their first meeting this season, the Timberwolves pushed the Thunder to the final moments but unfortunately collapsed in the last minute. Edwards scored 31 points, hitting 5 of 10 threes, but mentally he remained unsettled. The Thunder are indeed strong, but Huazi would never accept that easily.

Before today’s game against the Thunder, Edwards had missed three consecutive games, choosing to return just for this matchup to get revenge at home. After the game, Huazi said, “Fans pay to see us win, and we delivered tonight.” Huazi finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks — not eye-popping stats, but an impressively thrilling performance.

The Thunder remain an incredibly tough team to beat. The Timberwolves grabbed more rebounds, dished out more assists, and even secured more steals today. Randle created enough damage, while Huazi and Gobert fought hard to protect the boards, matching the Thunder’s physical intensity on defense.

Along with strong contributions from the bench, with surprise player Hyland scoring 13 points from beyond the arc, and Huazi’s clutch plays at the end, the Timberwolves handed the Thunder their third loss of the season. To beat the Thunder, you must first be flawless, then hope they shoot as poorly as 11-for-39 from three like today.

Edwards said after the game, “I’ve received a lot of negative criticism because I never choose to settle for a tie. Not long ago, I heard Arenas say I wanted to go home early? But my choice has always been consistent—I want to finish the game every time in the clutch.”

No matter how ridiculously the Timberwolves lost before, no matter how inconsistent Edwards’ form has been, they have the ability to play games like today’s against the league’s strongest teams, showing fearless passion and raw impulse, revealing the purest charm of basketball.

The basketball story of these passionate fools is just that simple and pure.