Thunder Up 2-0 on Timberwolves After 15-Point Win

On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was presented with the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, the Oklahoma City Thunder delivered another energetic performance to the tune of a 118-103 win to take a 2-0 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. 

The Thunder went on a 9-0 run early to take a 21-13 lead, and led 29-25 in an entertaining first quarter that saw Gilgeous-Alexander score 8 points and Anthony Edwards 8. The Thunder made 11-of-22 shots in the first quarter. 

A 7-0 run in the first two minutes and change of the second quarter gave the Timberwolves a 32-31 lead after Donte DiVincenzo hit on a triple. The Wolves bench was stellar in the first half, contributing 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the first 16 minutes of game action. 

Edwards connected on a triple to make the score 43-42, and converted a 3-point play shortly after to tie the game at 45. The Thunder remained poised and went into the half with a 58-50 lead off of 19 first half points from Gilgeous-Alexander on 6-for-9 shooting. Edwards tallied 16 points and 7 rebounds in the opening 24 minutes but was 7-for-17 shooting and just 1-of-6 from downtown. 

Jaden McDaniels scored on an inside jump shot as part of a 7-0 Timberwolves’ run in the third that cut the deficit to four at 61-57, but a 3-point play minutes later gave the Thunder a 73-64 lead after Lu Dort came from the weak side and stole the ball from Randle which led to a Gilgeous-Alexander finish. An Alex Caruso transition layup made the score 75-64, leading to a Wolves’ timeout. 

With 2:51 remaining in the third quarter, Cason Wallace, whose defensive abilities convert him into a professional pest, offered an alley-oop to Chet Holmgren, who dunked the ball through for an 82-65 lead. Timeout Timberwolves. 

A Holmgren dunk with 1:43 on the clock made the score 88-69, and a Wallace triple made the Thunder run 10-0, as they took a 93-69 lead into the fourth. The Timberwolves were outscored 35-21 in the third quarter, and Randle, 2-for-11 from the field through three quarters, would sit out the fourth and finish the game with just 6 points. After great performances in Game 5 against the Warriors and Game 1 of this series, he had a poor showing on Thursday night. He will need to return to form as the Wolves head home for Game 3. 

Despite turning up their defensive intensity and shot making in the final quarter, the Timberwolves could not entirely close the gap. An Edwards triple with three minutes on the clock made the score 107-97, but the offense of the Thunder kept clicking in the 15-point victory. 

McDaniels, with 22 points and 3 blocks on 8-for-15 and 4-for-8 from deep, played a strong game as did Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 17 points on 5-for-8 and 3-for-4 from deep. Naz Reid contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds but was 3-for-8 and missed all five of his 3-point attempts. He did show improved rebounding effort. Donte DiVincenzo scored 8 points on 2-for-6 from downtown. Mike Conley shot 1-of-6 for 3 points and Rudy Gobert totaled just five points though he did have nine rebounds. The Wolves need more out of Gobert whose last double-digit rebounding game was 13 days ago in Game 3 against the Warriors.

On the Oklahoma City side, not only did Gilgeous-Alexander, feted during his MVP ceremony prior to the game, play great with 38 points and 8 assists (12-for-21, 13-for-15 from the line) but the supporting cast did as well. 

Jalen Williams shot 12-for-20 for 26 points with 10 rebounds and 5 assists, while Holmgren scored 22 points on 8-for-17 from the field including many impressive finishes inside. Alex Caruso (9 points, 4-for-7 from the field) played well off the bench along with Wallace. All of it was part of a 50% Thunder shooting effort, though they were 9-for-33 from downtown. They did make 19-of-24 from the line. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, shot poorly from the field, just 41.4%. They made 11 of their 39 long-range attempts and 20-of-26 from the line. 

The Thunder had a 42-40 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over eight less times (6 to 14). 

In Game 3 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in Minneapolis, the Timberwolves will need a better Randle obviously. It is imperative that he is aggressive and matches the effort of Holmgren to put pressure on the Thunder defense. Otherwise, the guards can sit back and lock in. Gobert also needs to play more physical. The Wolves also must not grow infatuated with the three ball. If the energy and effort in the fourth was any indication, Game 3 will be a competitive one and the Wolves have a shot to get the series to 2-1. Otherwise, they may be looking at a 3-0 hole.