Thunder face rare test of fortitude after Wolves' recommitment to throwing 'fastball' on defense

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The score was already out of hand midway through the second quarter, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recognized the opening in Minnesota's drop pick-and-roll coverage and rose up at the elbow for the type of mid-range jumper Oklahoma City feasted on over the first two games of the Western Conference finals.

Instead of following through on that shot on Saturday night, though, the newly minted NBA MVP had a second thought.

With Rudy Gobert's long arm outstretched in front of him, Gilgeous-Alexander suddenly turned to his right in mid-air. But with nobody there to pass to, he landed back on the court while still holding the ball for the rare but obvious traveling call.

After the Thunder found all kinds of soft spots in their defense and consistently hit those open shots over two decisive wins to start the series, the Timberwolves tightened up their pressure with a back-to-basics approach on their home court that fueled a 143-101 victory in Game 3.

“Sometimes you've just got to throw your fastball,” coach Chris Finch said. “We were trying to do too much other junk out there at times.”

Inspired by the success Denver had with the look in its seven-game second-round series against Oklahoma City, Minnesota mixed in some zone defenses over the first two games but failed to gain any traction with it. Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 69 points, and the Thunder made exactly half of their shots from the floor.

With a palpable boost from the crowd at Target Center from the opening tip, the Wolves aggressively hounded the ball, employed effective switches and — the possession that ended with Gilgeous-Alexander's traveling violation notwithstanding — played far less drop coverage than in the first two games to keep the Thunder from finding a mid-range rhythm. Most importantly, they were disciplined enough to keep their fouls to a minimum.

Gilgeous-Alexander went more than 13 minutes of game time in the first half between baskets and finished with 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with four turnovers and only four free throw attempts. In the first quarter, with the Wolves up 24-9, Gobert blitzed Gilgeous-Alexander for a double-team in the backcourt and swatted the ball out of his hand for a steal that started a fast break.

“What works for us is us playing hard man-to-man defense, playing in gaps, being in passing lanes and being physical,” point guard Mike Conley said. “We’ve got to continue to get better at some of the adjustments they’re going to do, but tonight I was happy with the way that we just kind of hit the reset button and locked in on our way of playing.”

The big question for Game 4 on Monday night is how quickly the Thunder can bounce back from such a drubbing.

“It’s been who we are generally,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “We know the ebbs and flows of a playoff series. We’ve been on the other end of games like this, and they haven’t been predictive of the next game either. We do have to look at it and address the things that went awry for us, but at the same time it’ll be a new game. It’ll be 0-0 when Game 4 starts.”

This was the largest margin of defeat in NBA history for a team with 65-plus regular-season wins and only the second time in these playoffs the Thunder lost by more than 10 points. Their margin of defeat only reached double digits five times out of 14 losses during the regular season.

“We have a group of guys who really care. At this point of the season and after a game like that, nobody’s thinking, ‘Just throw it away,’” said Chet Holmgren, who made only three shots to match his low for this postseason. “There’s lessons in there where we can all be better.”

This presents a new test for a young Thunder team so dominant throughout this season it hasn't had many.

“It happens. You’re never going to be perfect in life, in a long season. You get punched, it's about getting back up and responding,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s what the next challenge is. We got punched in the mouth, and next game we’re either going to get back up or not. We have a decision to make for sure.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55), Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, and guard Mike Conley (10) reach for a loose ball during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, middle, shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looses controls of the ball while defended by Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) passes against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, and forward Jaden McDaniels, right, during the first half of Game 3 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 19, 2025--

Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NXDR), the essential neighborhood network, today announced expanded integrations for Nextdoor Alerts, implementing real-time earthquake data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This integration, along with the recent addition of Waze’s road and traffic data, significantly broadens the scope of critical, timely information available on Nextdoor – cementing the platform’s real-time value.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251219377420/en/

Since launching Nextdoor Alerts as part of the New Nextdoor in July 2025 with The Weather Company, Samdesk, and PowerOutage.us, the platform has delivered 3.7 million alerts – an approximately 400% increase in alerts delivered since launch. Neighbors can comment on these alerts and have real-time conversations, keeping each other informed. New partnerships with organizations like Waze and integrations with USGS demonstrate Nextdoor's sustained investment in essential neighborhood information. To date, the most engaged alerts measured by neighborhood conversations include dual Tsunami Watches for Orange County and San Diego County coastal areas on July 29, and most recently, a magnitude 4.03 earthquake near San Ramon, California, on December 14.

"We know that Nextdoor plays a critical role for neighbors before, during, and after disasters," said Nirav Tolia, CEO and Co-Founder of Nextdoor. "Integrating with USGS alert data exemplifies our continued commitment to providing reliable, real-time safety information to help neighbors make informed decisions and connect with neighbors.”

USGS Integration Delivers Neighborhood-Specific Disaster Data

Nextdoor neighbors will receive earthquake alerts that affect their neighborhood in real time. The alerts appear at the top of the Nextdoor newsfeed and are delivered via push notification if they are severe enough. The key difference between receiving an alert via Nextdoor or other alert providers is the ability to converse with your neighbors about the alert information. After neighbors receive the alert, they can use Nextdoor to check on neighbors, offer resources, and share real-time local information.

Alerts Map for Public Agency Partners

Nextdoor Alerts Map is also now available for public agency partners. The Nextdoor Alerts Map displays real-time information from Nextdoor’s alerting partners using Nextdoor’s API. These range from everyday alerts on weather, traffic, and public safety to critical alerts on power outages, severe weather, earthquakes, and fires.

Agencies can actively engage with their communities through the Nextdoor Alerts Map by monitoring alerts in their area and participating in real time. Officials can react to alerts, respond to neighbor questions with clarifying information, share links to official agency posts for ongoing updates, and reshare alerts to amplify or provide additional context.

To learn more about Nextdoor Alerts, visit Nextdoor.com.

About Nextdoor

Nextdoor is the essential neighborhood network for over 100 million verified neighbors, offering trusted local news, real-time safety alerts, neighbor recommendations, for sale and free listings, and events. Nextdoor connects neighbors to the people, places, and information that matter most in their local communities. In addition, businesses, news publishers, and public agencies use Nextdoor to share important information and engage with neighbors at scale. Download the app or join the neighborhood at nextdoor.com. For more information and media assets, visit nextdoor.com/newsroom.

Source: Nextdoor Holdings, Inc.

Public Agency Alert Map

Earthquake alerts on Nextdoor