Thunder’s defense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overwhelm Timberwolves in second half to take Game 1 114-88 - NBC Sports
Minnesota led by four at the half but the Thunder defense sparked a 17-2 run in the third quarter that changed the game.
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Thunder’s defense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overwhelm Timberwolves in second half to take Game 1 114-88
By
Kurt Helin,
By
Kurt Helin
Published May 20, 2025 11:56 PM
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Why Pacers are 'the better team' in ECF
May 20, 2025 12:05 PM
Dan Dakich joins Dan Patrick to preview how the Pacers and Knicks match up in the Eastern Conference Finals and why Indiana is "the better team" in the series.
This felt like so many of Oklahoma City’s games during the regular season. In particular, the 68 wins.
The Thunder’s elite pressure defense forced 19 turnovers and turned that into 31 points. Oklahoma City’s defense also took away the paint, giving up just 20 points on 43.5% shooting in the key. The Timberwolves tried to shoot over the top of that defense and it got them an early lead when they shot 8-of-19 to start the game. Eventually, the math caught up with them, and Minnesota shot 7-of-32 (21.9%) the rest of the way.
Then came the run. Sparked by that defense, the Thunder took the lead with a 10-0 run using their small-ball lineup in the third quarter. That was stretched out to 17-2 with Kenrich Williams hitting some big shots off the bench. By the start of the fourth, Oklahoma City was up by 10, 76-66, and from there they started to pull away. Oklahoma City won the second half 70-40.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, after a rough 2-of-13 first half, found his groove, shot 8-of-14 in the second half, drew fouls, and finished with a game-high 31 points.
“I didn’t particularly change my mindset, honestly. I just tried to continue to be aggressive, trust my work,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame.
Rating: 5