NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
OKLAHOMA CITY— Two indicators from Game 1 provided the Oklahoma City Thunder with a sense of optimism heading into the Western Conference Finals.
Firstly, they emerged victorious. Secondly, they did so despite not being at their best.
They stumbled initially but managed to close the first half down by only four points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a candidate for the Kia NBA MVP, did not play up to his usual standards. Yet, when it mattered most and the opportunity to claim the opening game arose, OKC had solutions while the Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves lacking answers.
The top-seeded Thunder fired the first shot of the series with a decisive 114-88 win, marking the second consecutive blowout victory for OKC following their comfortable Game 7 win against the Denver Nuggets just two days prior.
Despite being the more rested team, Minnesota failed to show their superiority on Tuesday. When the Wolves faltered, they were unable to regroup or adapt.
As the fourth quarter rolled around, the Wolves were finished, sending their key players to the bench and turning their attention to Game 2 on Thursday (8:30 ET, ESPN) for another opportunity to secure a win in OKC.
Here are Five Key Takeaways from OKC’s triumphant start, taking an early lead in the best-of-seven series.
This squad had been first in the league all season, adept at stifling opposing offenses and making their star players work for every shot. Oklahoma City’s defense had previously been unmatched, but in this series, the Wolves demonstrated they could rise to that challenge. Minnesota managed to limit the Thunder to just 44 points in the first half, clearly establishing the stakes.
However, the Wolves could only muster 40 points in the second half.
“Our defense gave us life,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
The game shifted due to OKC’s ability to contain Minnesota. In fact, the Thunder’s defense was crucial in ensuring that the halftime deficit remained a manageable four points. As coach Mark Daigneault stated, “That was significant. We may have lost the round, but we weren’t out.”
Once Oklahoma City corrected their offensive woes, they found the necessary equilibrium, and the Wolves were powerless to stop the outcome. Once the Thunder took the lead, they maintained it.
Jalen Williams stood out with five steals, while the Wolves committed 19 turnovers, leading to 31 points for the opportunistic Thunder.
Moreover, aside from Julius Randle’s notable first half (20 points), no other Timberwolves player really challenged OKC. This means…
Anthony Edwards didn’t cause the Wolves’ downfall, but he also failed to contribute much to their success — and that’s a concern. The Wolves needed a star performance, but Edwards couldn’t deliver.
He finished with 18 points (none in the fourth quarter), which won’t suffice against an OKC team that had already managed to handle the formidable Nikola Jokic in the previous round.
The Wolves can’t rely solely on Randle for scoring against the Thunder. Oklahoma City ultimately figured out Minnesota’s playmaking power forward, who struggles with ball-handling in tight spaces.
So where was the player who believes he could be the face of the league? Perhaps hindered by a turned ankle late in the first quarter, Edwards was rather subdued for much of the game, especially compared to his usual standards.
“I guess I need to take more shots,” he lamented. “I only attempted 13 shots.”
Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren passed their most demanding test in the semifinals when they successfully competed against Jokic. This time, they faced a much less threatening offensive presence in Rudy Gobert, who has difficulties catching passes, let alone scoring, making the focus on boxing him out and mitigating his defensive impact.
Once again, the battle between the big men tilted decisively in favor of OKC. Hartenstein consistently hit floaters over Gobert, while Holmgren secured easy baskets on backdoor cuts and lobs. Together, the duo combined for 27 points and 12 rebounds, while Gobert only managed two points and three rebounds in a mere 21 minutes of play.
“That gives us an advantage,” Daigneault commented.
With OKC effectively sidelining Gobert, the Wolves now face a dilemma: Should they prioritize his defensive skills and keep him in the game, or should they lean on Reid for offensive output, potentially reducing Gobert’s playing time?
The frustration surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander benefiting from foul calls peaked in the first quarter; Edwards carelessly tossed the ball at Shai’s feet after a foul was called on him. Ant received a technical foul as a result, but he stood by his teammates.
This frustration stemmed from the Wolves’ annoyance at Shai using his forearm for space and drawing fouls, often without much contact. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 13 of his 14 free throws in the first half, aiding him during a challenging shooting stretch of 2-for-13.
However, the free throw disparity also proved costly for Minnesota’s top on-ball defender, Jaden McDaniels, who picked up his fourth foul merely four minutes into the third quarter and had to sit. He played only 24 minutes as Shai effectively neutralized him.
This situation exacerbated the Wolves’ frustrations.
“We discussed that prior to the series,” Finch remarked. “There was noticeable frustration on the court. We need to set that aside and shift to a next-play mindset.”
Regarding Reid’s offensive contributions, they were unfortunately absent, as was the bench’s production.
Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined for a dismal 7-for-36 shooting. They had opportunities but squandered most, with each miss hitting the Wolves hard as they desperately sought a scoring run to keep the Thunder from pulling away.
DiVincenzo’s shooting has been particularly concerning during the postseason, hovering at just 25%. There’s a level of confidence with Reid’s ability to bounce back from poor performances, but not so with DiVincenzo. This pattern is becoming problematic.
When the Wolves looked for fresh options on Tuesday, Alexander-Walker followed suit with equally poor shooting. In a matchup of teams with strong benches, OKC triumphed decisively, with a surprising third-quarter surge from Kenrich Williams (eight points in 10 minutes), who had seen limited playoff play.
“We lacked patience,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “Our hurried offense impacted our defense. When we did get good looks, they didn’t convert. We need to improve our decision-making and clean up our play.”
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for over 25 years. You can reach him via email, explore his archive, and follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
