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Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Anthony Edwards stalked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, waited until the ball left his right hand, leapt and swatted it away from the basket for an emphatic block, capping a 25-point comeback win for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game-winning swat occurred with about 10 seconds remaining in the 131-128 overtime triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in Oklahoma City.
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"That was crazy, I'm not going to lie," Edwards told reporters, when asked about the comeback.
Edwards scored just two points in the fourth quarter and overtime while limited because of a leg issue. He finished the night with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Forward Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 27 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 39 points, with 10 rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
"We kept fighting," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. "The team fights, it always has. It's been fighting for a long, long time. The guys off the bench were phenomenal. They were just what we needed."
The Thunder made 51.1% of their first-half shots -- while the Timberwolves sank 41.9% of their looks -- for a 64-45 lead through two quarters. They carried a 32-28 lead into the second quarter, where they outscored the Timberwolves 32-17.
The Thunder built an 82-57 edge in the third quarter and led 102-80 to start the fourth. The Timberwolves then went on a 16-0 run over the final 3:41 of regulation -- with Edwards on the bench -- to seize momentum and force overtime. The Thunder went 0 for 9 from the field during that stretch.
Gilgeous-Alexander converted a 3-point play early in overtime to give the lead back to the Thunder, who would make just one more basket down the stretch.
Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker made a jump shot on the next possession. McDaniels then sank two free throws to give the Timberwolves a late lead.
The teams exchanged the lead with free throws over the next several minutes, including two from center Naz Reid for a 129-128 Timberwolves lead with 23 seconds remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander then took the ball for one of the most significant sequences of the night. The Thunder star dribbled around a pick from fellow guard Alex Caruso beyond the 3-point arc to start the play.
He then dribbled into the paint, slipping by several defenders before elevating toward the left side of the rim. But Edwards denied what could have been a go-ahead layup, smacking the attempt away from the hoop.
Alexander-Walker sank two free throws on the next possession for the final points of the night. Edwards proceeded to again play tough defense on Gilgeous-Alexander on the final possession, which led to a 3-point attempt that hit the back of the rim, completing the Timberwolves' comeback victory.
The Thunder made just 20.7% of their shots in the fourth quarter, compared to the Timberwolves' 59.1% clip over the final 12 minutes of regulation.
Reid totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Alexander-Walker chipped in 21 points for the Timberwolves. Thunder forward Jalen Williams logged 27 points in the loss.
The Thunder (46-11) won nine of their last 11 games, with their only losses to the Timberwolves (32-27) over that span. They will face the Brooklyn Nets (21-36) at 7:30 p.m. EST Wednesday in Brooklyn. The Timberwolves will take on the Los Angeles Lakers (34-21) at 10:30 p.m. Thursday in Los Angeles.
