The Oklahoma City Thunder crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals last night. What began as a close contest turned into a one-sided affair, with the Thunder outscoring the Timberwolves 70-40 in the second half.
“We try to play to our identity,” said Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “We did a good job of that on defense. Our defense definitely gave us life early in the game and kept us in it.”
The Thunder have made shutting down opponents and capitalizing on mistakes their signature strategy throughout the season.
SGA Overcomes Slow Start
Despite shooting just 2-for-13 in the first half, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 31 points. He added 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in a complete performance.
“I didn’t particularly change my mindset,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained. “I just tried to continue to be aggressive, trust my work.”
His ability to get to the free-throw line (11-of-14) helped him stay effective even when shots weren’t falling. This approach didn’t sit well with everyone – the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards showed frustration early, tossing the ball at SGA and earning a technical foul.
Tale of Two Halves
The Timberwolves held a narrow 48-44 edge at the halfway point, with Julius Randle providing much of their offensive firepower.
But the Thunder found their offensive rhythm after halftime while Minnesota’s offense collapsed. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams outscored the entire Timberwolves team in the third quarter as Oklahoma City took control.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault credited his team’s defensive intensity for giving them time to find their offensive footing.
“I just thought it took us a second to calibrate to the opponent, but our defense allowed us the margin to do that,” Daigneault said.
Shooting Struggles Doom Timberwolves
Minnesota had a tough night shooting the ball, hitting just under 35% of their field goals and less than 30% from beyond the arc on a high volume of attempts (15 makes from 51 tries). While Randle contributed an efficient 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting, his teammates couldn’t find any rhythm. Edwards managed 18 points but lacked his characteristic explosiveness, and the team’s interior scoring was virtually non-existent – they recorded their lowest paint points in playoff action since the 2004 postseason.
Minnesota’s reserves particularly struggled with their shot. Reid couldn’t find the target (1 make from 11 attempts, missing all seven three-pointers), DiVincenzo connected on just 3 of his 14 shots, and Alexander-Walker made only 3 of 11 attempts.
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Bench Strength Makes the Difference
While Minnesota’s bench struggled, Oklahoma City’s second unit continued to show why depth has been their secret weapon. Every Thunder reserve player registered a positive impact during their time on court, with their collective efficient scoring (32 points from just 16 shot attempts with 10 makes) proving decisive.
Cason Wallace (plus-21 in 33 minutes) and Alex Caruso (plus-10 in 22 minutes) provided steady play that helped maintain and extend the Thunder’s lead.
“We just got a phenomenal defensive team,” Thunder reserve Alex Caruso said. “It’s a collection of great individual defenders that also play great team defense. And then once we get on the break, young legs, all those dudes are running and dunking.”
Looking Forward
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch maintained a level-headed approach despite the lopsided result.
“It’s Game 1… They won at home. Congrats to them. They played really well. There’s another game in two days,” Finch said.
The loss puts immediate pressure on Minnesota to make adjustments before Game 2, scheduled for Thursday evening in Oklahoma City. Falling into an 0-2 hole before the series shifts to Minnesota would be a significant challenge to overcome.
One concern for the Timberwolves will be Edwards’ health after he had an ankle scare in the first half. Though he returned to action, his effectiveness noticeably diminished in the second half.
The Thunder’s rising self-assurance is evident as their youthful roster displays impressive composure under the intensity of playoff competition.
“There’s two sides to the basketball game,” Thunder center Chet Holmgren said. “If you want to play only one side, you got to play really good and you don’t want to count on that, especially in the playoffs.”
