With their 131-128 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves may have pulled off the most unlikely comeback in NBA history.
This is a subjective thing and would depend on how you weigh factors such as largest deficit, opponent and time remaining, but when you go on a 16-0 run over the final 3:41 of regulation to beat the Thunder, arguably the best team in the league, on the road, you have done something objectively special.
In fact…
There’s also this:
So now we’re looking at basically a 1-in-10,000 shot to pull off a comeback of these circumstances, and that’s not even factoring in your best player being on the bench. Indeed, Minnesota went on this 16-0 run without Anthony Edwards, who was subbed out at the 3:41 mark presumably because Minnesota coach Chris Finch, like everyone else, figured the game was over.
That said, it was Edwards who sealed the win as he protected Minnesota’s one-point lead in the waning seconds of overtime by blocking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s potential game-winning shot at the rim.
From there, Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker made a couple free throws and Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential game-tying 3 on the other end and one of the craziest comebacks you’ll ever see became official.
This is the kind of win that could potentially kickstart a Minnesota team that is fighting to get out of the play-in and into a top-six playoff seed. Had the Wolves lost this game, they would’ve dropped into a tie in the loss column with the No. 10 seed Kings. Instead, they maintain their percentage point hold on the No. 7 seed, just one game back of the No. 6 Clippers.
This time of year, one game can swing a lot. So file this one away. If the Wolves end up securing a playoff spot, there’s a good chance this will be where the defining stretch started.
