The opening matchup of the Western Conference Finals was a tale of two halves, one in which the Oklahoma City Thunder took home a 114-88 win.
The Minnesota Timberwolves set a strong tone early and held OKC’s offense to just 20 points in the first quarter. After a close second quarter, the T-Wolves held a four-point lead over the top-seeded Thunder.
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In the second half however, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder as they turned up the heat on both ends of the floor. OKC’s deep list of defensive menaces was enough to stop Minnesota’s offense in it’s tracks. At the same time, the Thunder attacked the rim with force on offense, opening up a huge lead.
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Julius Randle had 20 points and a playoff career-high five three-pointers in the first half, but OKC made smart defensive adjustments and held Randle to just eight second-half points.
OKC outscored Minnesota 70-40 in the second half, putting on one of the best team defensive performances that we’ve seen in recent memory.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards had a rough night by his standards, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds.
For OKC, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points, nine assists and three steals, but the Thunder’s defensive coordination is what secured the victory.
The Timberwolves are now fighting an uphill battle as they will look to even up the score in Game 2 on Thursday.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
