2015 NBA Scores: The Thunder bounced back and 3 other things we learned

The Oklahoma City Thunder can't let games slip away. Their margin of error for making the playoffs is slim and any stumble could have consequences, as both the Suns and the Pelicans refuse to go away. On Monday the Thunder were coming off a two-game losing streak and without Kevin Durant on their third game in four nights. Russell Westrbook struggled to score and the three-pointers weren't falling. Fortunately for them, their opponent was the young Timberwolves, a team that is bursting with potential but couldn't beat even this watered down version of the Thunder despite having a real chance to pull off the upset.

Oklahoma City was unrecognizable, with everyone but Serge Ibaka playing below their usual level and showing a concerning lack of energy. In all likelihood overconfidence played a part, as even without Durant the Thunder were heavy favorites. It was ugly and closer than it should have been but the win puts the Thunder 2.5 games away from the last playoff spot in the West. Serge Ibaka finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks while Thaddeus Young and Andrew Wiggins combined for 55 points, 12 rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves.

Wiggins guarded Russell Westbrook for most of the game and did a great job, preventing him from barreling through the lane and keeping him out of the free throw line. Wiggins was also aggressive on the other end, finishing through contact and looking more in control than he was at the beginning of the year. The No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft continues to have a fantastic January despite the Timberwolves' record. He wasn't the only young player to look good for Minnesota. Gorgui Dieng pulled down 18 rebounds against a physical front court. Rookie Zach LaVine is also improving, as showed by his 11 fourth quarter points in the loss. This season is about player development and evaluation for the Wolves, so individual performances are more important than the scoreboard.

The balanced scoring effort led by Dion Waiters and Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka was clearly not enough to put the Timberwolves away. That's when Westbrook finally broke out of his funk and closed the game. After going 3-for-16 the first three quarters Westbrook scored 11 points on just six shots to secure the victory. As wins go, this one doesn't inspire fear in the Thunder's opponents but Oklahoma City is in survival mode right now so they'll take it.

Zach Randolph is still a beast. With Marc Gasol having a breakout season as a scorer and Mike Conley finally getting the recognition he deserves, everyone seems to have forgotten about Zach Randolph. With the 10 rebounds he logged in the Grizzlies' victory over the Magic, Randolph now has extended his streak of double-digit rebounding games to 16. He also contributed 24 points and six assists, as Orlando had no idea how to defend him and Marc Gasol. This is not his team anymore but Randolph is still key to Memphis' success.

The Celtics were smart to keep Tayshuan Prince. When Prince was traded to the Celtics for Jeff Green a buyout seemed inevitable. Why keep Prince from signing with a contender and have him take minutes from young players? The Celtics opted instead to be patient and try to see if a trade option appeared, which looked like a long shot considering Prince's eroding skills. Yet it might have been a good idea, as Prince has been decent in his few games in Boston and had a great night against the Utah Jazz, tallying 19 points and five assists in 30 minutes on the court. It's possible a trade doesn't materialize but even if that's true, having a veteran like Prince around is not the worst thing for the Celtics.

The Clippers are impossible to peg. The Clippers have the fourth best record in the West and the second best point differential in the league before Monday night. On paper, they are a contender. Yet they don't get as much attention as other teams because they have games like the one against the Nuggets. They sleepwalked for large stretches and looked mediocre before flipping a switch and coming back to win it. People expect the great teams to be dominant and the Clippers have nights in which they aren't but still get wins. The regular season won't tell us how good they are. We'll have to wait until the playoffs for that.

Anthony Davis is a highlight machine. On Monday, he reached out high and threw down a lob no human should be able to get to.

Pelicans 99, 76ers 74 (The Bird Writes recap | Liberty Ballers recap)