Oklahoma
Third quarter Tuesday shows why Timberwolves staring up at Oklahoma City
Ahead of two games against the NBA’s top two title favorites — Oklahoma City and Boston — Wolves wing Jaden McDaniels told Minnesota radio voice Alan Horton on Tuesday morning that the Wolves are “right up there with those teams.”
“Our record might not show it,” McDaniels told Horton, “but I feel like we’re one of the best teams.”
Tuesday — specifically, the third quarter Tuesday — was a reminder that the Wolves are not, as Minnesota fell 113-105 to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The Wolves had proven again over the three-game winning streak they carried into Oklahoma City that they are indeed a good team. A great one, though? Not at the moment. That’s a high standard that only a few teams have achieved to date this season, and Oklahoma City again proved why it’s in that club.
Mike Conley hit a trio of triples in succession to put Minnesota up 12 early in the third stanza. Oklahoma City didn’t so much as call a timeout. The Thunder merely locked in, going on an immediate 10-0 run to force Wolves coach Chris Finch to call time. But that did little to slow the avalanche.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sliced through Minnesota’s defense for a pretty finish at the rim at the end of the quarter to put the Thunder up 14. Oklahoma City outscored Minnesota 34-10 over the final 8 minutes, 30 seconds of that third quarter. The Thunder — who sport the NBA’s best defense — turned up their dial to a 10 on that end of the floor, suffocating Minnesota’s offense while breathing life into its own.
Minnesota didn’t help itself in the situation. The Wolves committed 10 of their 24 turnovers Tuesday in the third quarter.
“We did the one thing that we couldn’t do. We turned it over at a high level. We talked about that coming in here – we’ve got to take care of the ball,” Wolves coach Chris Finch told reporters after the game. “We were up 10, missed a dunk, leads to a run out, 10-0 run, and then the turnovers started after that.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the floor. The MVP candidate tallied 40 points on 15-for-23 shooting. He was the best player on the floor, even on an evening when Anthony Edwards was relatively productive.
Edwards finished with 20 points, but he simply cannot control the game with the same consistency as Oklahoma City’s star guard. Gilgeous-Alexander seemed to get whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, even against a defense as traditionally dominant as Minnesota’s.
Minnesota (17-15) went toe to toe with the Thunder at various points in Tuesday’s bout, as Oklahoma City struggled to find any offensive rhythm and couldn’t buy a made triple. The Thunder didn’t clear the 30-point threshold until midway through the second quarter. Oklahoma City went 3 for 19 from deep in the first half.
And again late, Minnesota delivered one final push to make things interesting. The Wolves pulled within three in the closing minutes and looked to be on the verge of another stunning victory after rallying past San Antonio and Houston in dramatic fashion of its two previous contests.
But Oklahoma City (27-5) is a tier above even those quality teams, and the Thunder made enough plays late when they were required to close the deal.
Minnesota’s had lapses like what it experienced in the third quarter seemingly every game. And the Thunder are good enough to make Minnesota pay for them.
Cleaning those up is what will be required for Minnesota to return to true championship contention.
“If we don’t turn the ball over, we can control this game,” Finch said. “No doubt about it.”
Originally Published:
OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to honor country music artist and Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 recognizes Keith’s lasting impact on music and proposes renaming a planned turnpike in his memory.
The concurrent resolution was authored by Rep. Jason Blair, R-Morgan, and Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman.
The planned route will extend from Interstate 44 east to Interstate 35, then continue east and north to I-40 at the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
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