Thunder vs Timberwolves Prediction: OKC Looks To Stay Hot Against Minnesota (Dec 31)

• The Thunder are 26-5 and have the best record in the Northwest Division.
• Minnesota is 17-14 and has the third-best record in the Northwest Division.
• These teams last played on Jan. 29, with the Timberwolves claiming a 107-101 victory.

One of the games on tap from Tuesday night’s NBA slate features the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Our Thunder vs Timberwolves prediction foresees the Thunder winning what should be a competitive contest.

Thunder Seek Their 12th Straight Win

OKC produced 15 wins through its first 20 contests. Since their last loss to the Houston Rockets on Dec. 1, the Thunder are a perfect 11-0, including a 130-106 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 35 points with seven assists, six rebounds, and four blocked shots.

Rookie Ajay Mitchell added 17 points and three assists, Aaron Wiggins contributed 16, and Jalen Williams chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The game was tight early, as OKC led by a slim 34-31 margin after the first 12 minutes of action. However, the home led by 26 points at the break, thanks to a 42-19 scoring edge in the second quarter, which essentially put the game out of reach.

The Thunder held Memphis to 38.1 percent shooting overall and 27.5 percent from beyond the arc. They outscored the Timberwolves 56-36 in the paint and turned 21 turnovers into 33 points. Simply put, OKC was effective at both ends of the floor.

Minnesota Seeks To Extend Win Streak To Four Games

On the heels of three straight losses to the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, and the Atlanta Hawks, the Timberwolves have posted wins in their previous three games. This includes a 112-110 over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Four of the starting five reached double figures in that contest. Rudy Gobert finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks.

Julius Randle added 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Anthony Edwards was held to 14 points on 6-for-20 shooting from the field, while Jaden McDaniels contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. Minnesota led by 13 points in the third quarter, but the teams were tied at 101 late in the final frame.

Julius Randle scored on a layup against Victor Wembanyama that was initially called an offensive foul. Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch challenged the call, and it was overturned, giving Minnesota a 103-101 advantage, a lead the team would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Although the Timberwolves converted just 25 percent of their 3-point attempts (11-for-44), they won the rebounding battle by a 56-41 margin and outscored San Antonio 60-40 in the paint.

Thunder vs Timberwolves Prediction: OKC Claims Another Victory

The Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference and have not lost a game in nearly a month. In addition to being a top-10 team from a scoring perspective, this group is ranked first in scoring defense (103.3 PPG) and defensive efficiency (103.3 Points Per 100 Possessions).

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have had an up-and-down season to this point. They have gone 11-11 following a 6-3 start. Minnesota has also had three separate losing streaks of at least three games this season. With that in mind, look for OKC to push its winning streak to 12 games.

Tags:
• Regular Season (NBA)