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Dominance! The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as the inaugural team to secure a spot in the NBA Finals after triumphing over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals with a 4–1 series victory.
In a pivotal Game 5 held at home, OKC showcased their strength by defeating the Wolves with an impressive score of 124–94, marking their first Finals appearance since 2012.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout performer, scoring 34 points along with eight assists and seven rebounds, and was named the Western Conference Finals MVP. Throughout the series against Minnesota, he averaged 31.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, earning the prestigious Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy.
“We still have a lot of development ahead of us,” he remarked. “There’s a significant amount of work required to achieve our ultimate goal, and this isn’t it, so that’s my sole focus.”
In Game 5, Chet Holmgren contributed 22 points and seven rebounds, while Jalen Williams added 19 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. German player Isaiah Hartenstein also made a notable impact off the bench with eight points and five rebounds in just 17 minutes of play.
For the Timberwolves, Julius Randle led the scoring with 24 points, while Anthony Edwards contributed 19 points. Both Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr. chipped in with 11 points each.
With this victory, Oklahoma City is the first team to secure their place in the NBA Finals, where they will compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy against either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks. The Pacers currently hold a 3–1 advantage in that series as they head into Game 5.
