Karl-Anthony Cities had 28 factors, 11 rebounds and three blocked photographs and the Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the ultimate Western Convention playoff spot with a 120-95 thumping of the visiting Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Friday evening in a play-in sport.

Minnesota Timberwolves middle Karl-Anthony Cities (32) (USA TODAY Sports activities through Reuters Con)

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert recorded 21 factors and 10 rebounds in his first look since serving a one-game suspension for punching teammate Kyle Anderson throughout Sunday’s sport in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans. Anthony Edwards registered 19 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota would be the No. 8 seed within the West and can face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets within the first spherical. The sequence begins Sunday in Denver.

Oklahoma Metropolis’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander endured a troublesome evening whereas scoring 22 factors. He was simply 5-of-19 taking pictures and briefly left the sport within the third quarter after Gobert’s elbow linked to the fitting facet of his face and left a deep reduce and swelling underneath the attention of the Thunder star.

Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams every scored 17 factors and made 4 3-pointers for Oklahoma Metropolis.

Mike Conley added 14 factors for Minnesota. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 12 factors and Anderson tallied 11 for the Timberwolves, who made 51.8 % of their photographs and had been 13 of 32 from behind the arc.

Oklahoma Metropolis shot simply 36 % from the sector, together with 13 of 40 from 3-point vary. Josh Giddey, who scored 31 factors in a play-in win over the Pelicans on Wednesday, had simply six factors on 2-of-13 taking pictures.

Minnesota scored 38 factors within the third quarter to broaden a 10-point halftime benefit right into a 95-78 lead.

Cities transformed consecutive three-point performs as a part of an 11-point quarter and Taurean Prince adopted with a trey because the Timberwolves scored 9 straight factors to take a 79-62 lead with 4:56 remaining.

Isaiah Joe’s ferocious slam dunk introduced Oklahoma Metropolis inside 84-74 with 2:20 left within the interval earlier than Minnesota completed the quarter with an 11-4 burst. Edwards scored 5 factors in a span of seven seconds through the run because the Timberwolves exerted management.

Minnesota stored up the assault and scored 14 of the primary 16 factors to begin the fourth quarter. Gobert’s dunk on a go from Anderson pushed the margin to twenty for the primary time with 11:02 remaining, and Gobert’s slam on a go from Cities capped the burst and made it 109-80 with 7:52 left.

Cities scored 15 factors within the first half because the Timberwolves led 57-47 on the break. Williams had 14 within the half for Oklahoma Metropolis.