Feb 15, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch reacts to the technical foul assigned to him by the referees in the game with the Charlotte Hornets at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

At 20-43, the Oklahoma City Thunder need all the help they can get to stop a competent Minnesota Timberwolves squad.

Surely the Thunder didn’t plan it this way, but OKC general manager Sam Presti might not have to look any further than some in-house candidates in free agency next season — or perhaps to use one of his war chest of draft picks on.

Late in the third quarter of what would be the Timberwolves third straight win, Jordan McLaughlin recorded a steal on an attempted hand-off by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander which went awry. McLaughin ran free for an easy lay-up, but the Thunder mop-up crew was in the way.

The Thunder court cleaners put on the CLAMPS 🤣 pic.twitter.com/NPYsuwCPIw

The Wolves broadcast team was irate a technical foul wasn’t called, as McLaughlin would’ve scored an easy two points on the other end.

In the end, one bucket didn’t make much of a difference. If anything, the Wolves used it as motivation, eventually taking down the Thunder by a final score of 138-101.

Presti seems very content to lose every game the Thunder are meant to lose in hopes of improving his team’s draft stock.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, sit in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference standings. Winners of three straight, they’re just two games behind the Denver Nuggets for the six seed. Catching Denver would place Minnesota out of the play-in tournament, a fate they’d surely prefer if they can secure it.

Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Oklahoma City Thunder and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more.

Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices.

© 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.