Oklahoma City is back in the NBA Finals.
The Thunder overwhelmed the Timberwolves 124-94 to win the Western Conference finals Wednesday night at Paycom Center, taking the best-of-seven series in five games.
OKC awaits the winner of the Pacers and Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 5, at Paycom Center. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference finals series 3-1 with Game 5 on Thursday.
Either team will have its hands full with an OKC buzzsaw.
The Thunder never gave the Timberwolves much of a chance Wednesday night, leading by as much as 39.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s MVP, scored 34 points, had eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds. His 3-pointer to open the fourth was essentially a dagger after the Wolves had outscored OKC in the third, though the game was over well before that.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Williams also scored 19 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
OKC held Minnesota to 40.5% shooting and forced 21 turnovers.
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The countdown to the NBA Finals is on.
Oklahoma City is 12 minutes away from winning the West, heading into a fourth quarter that’s nothing more than a formality. A coronation for the new champs.
Minnesota chipped into OKC’s enormous halftime lead, outscoring the Thunder 30-23 in the third quarter, but it won’t be enough. Not nearly enough.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder with 28 points on 12-of-22 shooting. Co-stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have 17 and 16 points respectively.
The only decision left for Mark Daigneault: How much, if any, does he play his starters in the fourth quarter?
—Joe Mussatto, Columnist
End of first half: Thunder 65, Timberwolves 32 | Oklahoma City only one half from returning to NBA Finals
Want to know why this game is so lopsided?
Minnesota goes to halftime with more turnovers than made baskets.
Yes, it’s true — the Timberwolves have turned over the ball 14 times while making only 12 shots. Worse (or better, if you’re the Thunder), they are 12 of 39 from the field and 5 of 18 from behind the arc.
And as few and far between as Minnesota’s makes have been, Oklahoma City has made matters more difficult by forcing so many turnovers. The Wolves’ 14 turnovers ties the record for most giveaways in a half in a conference finals game.
In first half, the Thunder has nine steals and 17,843 deflections, give or take a few.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads all scorers with 20 points while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren added 15 apiece.
Anthony Edwards leads the Wolves with nine points.
—Jenni Carlson, Columnist
End of first quarter: Thunder 26, Timberwolves 9 | OKC claims commanding lead with NBA Finals on tap
The officials might need something louder than a whistle.
What about a megaphone? Or maybe an air horn? Do people still use vuvuzelas?
Even they might not have worked in the first quarter, as the crowd at Paycom Center reached deafening levels. It enjoyed every second of a dominant display by OKC, which claimed a commanding 26-9 lead on a night when it can book its ticket to the NBA Finals.
Chet Holmgren set the tone by scoring all seven of his points in the first five minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander then took over the game, racking up 12 points and five assists.
And as the final seconds ticked off the clock, Cason Wallace gave the crowd one last thing to cheer about. He sank a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap off the statement quarter.
—Justin Martinez, Staff writer
7:11 left in 1Q: Thunder 11, Timberwolves 3 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC rolling early
After those first couple minutes, OKC has been in complete control here. SGA has been great at finding the corners. Thunder has already snuck a couple lobs past Minnesota. Letting McDaniels shoot from the corners. Wolves are 1 for 11. Thunder ahead 11-3.
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
The usual for Minnesota.
No surprises here.
The Minnesota Timberwolves found themselves in a strikingly similar position 363 days ago — trailing 3-1 in the Western Conference finals.
That series ended in heartbreak, as the Timberwolves were eliminated on their home floor by the then Luka Dončić-led Dallas Mavericks. The stakes are even higher this time around as Minnesota faces the daunting task of surviving in one of the NBA’s most hostile playoff environments.
The odds are steep historically. Only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series. That number shrinks to just three when focusing solely on the conference finals.
Yet, there’s a quiet confidence within the Timberwolves camp.
The roster has evolved, the atmosphere feels different and head coach Chris Finch believes his team is better equipped to fight back this time around.
“That’s the benefit of being in the playoffs — making a bit of a run year on year, you have a cumulative experience that you can draw upon,” Finch said. “I don’t sense any panic in the group. I sense a lot of positivity, a lot of connectivity and a lot of belief. Especially having been through last year’s kind of ups and downs in a different series.”
—Jordan Davis, Staff writer
The Thunder is one win away from the NBA Finals. From a chance at basketball bliss.
A distraction, coach Mark Daigneault calls it. At least with Wednesday night’s Game 5 standing in the way.
Daigneault, who’s watched his team endure massive expectations for the second youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history, isn’t worried about them seizing what’s in front of them.
“This team’s done a great job of growing through those types of experiences and .
in those types of circumstances,” Daigneault said. “But tonight’s a new challenge.”
No one ever asks Daigneault his emotions. Perhaps because of his stoicism. Or because he’s 40, and reporters happen to be more curious about the feelings of his 20-something-year-old players.
But Daigneault emphasized Wednesday night that he hasn’t allowed his mind to drift to what could be.
“I just try to walk the walk with the stuff that we’re asking the guys to do,” Daigneault said. “… trying to model the same thing that we want everybody to be thinking and doing right now, which is focusing on Game 5.”
—Joel Lorenzi, Staff writer
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- Date: Wednesday, May 28
- Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City
The Thunder vs Timberwolves game starts at 7:30 p.m. CT Wednesday from Paycom Center in OKC.
The Thunder vs Timberwolves game will be broadcast on ESPN. It can be streamed on Fubo and ESPN+.
Western Conference finals: Thunder vs. Timberwolves
Thunder vs. Timberwolves betting odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Tuesday, May 27
Odds: Thunder by 8.5
Over/under: 220.5
Moneyline: OKC -375 | Minnesota +290
Thunder vs. Timberwolves prediction, picks
Justin Martinez: OKC 117, Minnesota 106
Minnesota will surely play with desperation in a must-win game. But OKC has shown that its defense can wear down Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. And after struggling in Game 3, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams returned to lighting up the scoreboard in Game 4. The Thunder has momentum on its side, and now it’ll also have the crowd on its side. I’m picking OKC to finish this series Wednesday and advance to the NBA Finals.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves highlights in Game 5 of Western Conference finals
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