Oklahoma City — At the start of this season, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch asked his team whether it was a Western Conference Finals team a year ago, or if it was simply a team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

A similarly pertinent question could be asked of Minnesota through two games of this year’s conference title round: Are the Timberwolves a title contender, or merely one of the last four teams still playing?

Right now, Minnesota looks a lot like the latter.

The Wolves were thoroughly out-played again Thursday in Game 2, getting their doors blown off in the third quarter en route to a 118-103 loss in Oklahoma City. Minnesota now trails the best of 7 series 2-0, with Game 3 at Target Center on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

“Every minute in this series is a chance to find something,” Finch said. “We’re going to go back home … and fight for Game 3. Heads up, look at the tape and get ready for Game 3.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the MVP trophy on the floor ahead of the game, and proceeded to show everyone why he received the honor in the 48 minutes that followed. The superstar guard scored 38 points to go with eight assists. His wingman, Jalen Williams, tacked on 26 points.

Still, Minnesota was down just three late in the first half thanks to some hot 3-point shooting out of the gates. But that’s where the wheels began to fall off.

Oklahoma City closed the frame on a 5-0 run to take an eight-point advantage into the break. Then the floodgates opened in the third. The Thunder scored 35 points in the third quarter, including a 25-6 run that put the game out of question.Minnesota was down 22 at the end of the frame.

“I think it’s like two, three possessions in a row when they amp up the pressure a little bit and we don’t really get anything accomplished on the offensive end and they get steals or long rebounds to outlets, pushing the tempo and getting out in transition,” Wolves guard Mike Conley said. “We’ve got to be able to weather that storm a little bit better. The adversity part of it has been challenging, but find a way to limit them from turning a one- or two-possession swing into a three-, four-, five-possession swing where it gets out of hand.”

The Timberwolves played two quarters of good offense, but at this point, it looks as though perfection may be required to contend in this series with the 68-win Thunder.

They’ll have another chance Saturday to produce just that, or at least something close to it, in what now looks like a must-win game back in Minneapolis.

“They took care of business. They did what they came out to do. Take care of home court, and now we have to do the same,” Conley said. “Game 3 is the most important one. We’ve got to be locked in and give ourselves a chance to turn this series around.”