OKLAHOMA CITY — Putting his head down, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove to the basket but only took a few steps before Jaden McDaniels pushed him from behind. The MVP favorite landed on his side but quickly got up when his layup went in for the celebratory and-one.
After a sleepy first half, the Oklahoma City Thunder rubbed their eye boogers for a 114-88 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The statement victory put the first seed ahead with a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Early on, the basketball was as ugly as most anticipated. Two of the best defenses matched up. The Thunder couldn't get anything going while the Timberwolves scored the first eight points. OKC exited the first quarter in a 23-20 deficit.
Julius Randle turned supernova against the Thunder. A deep 3-pointer capped off 20 points in the first half, where he went 5-of-6 from deep to start. Minnesota had no problem spamming outside looks as its ultimate equalizer. The Thunder kept up with 24 points in the frame and only trailed 48-44 at halftime.
All things considered, not the worst deficit to be in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 11 points, but he had to earn them. The rest of the Thunder couldn't get anything going as Minnesota's defense limited the quality of their halfcourt possessions.
Then the Thunder flipped the switch. Like they've done all season, they avalanched the Timberwolves in the third quarter to flip the scoreboard and create distance. A 20-5 run broke the game open in favor of OKC. The MVP candidate took over and Jalen Williams finally snapped out of his funk to help.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves went cold from the outside. Luck ran out for them. The Thunder had a 32-18 scoring advantage in the third quarter to build a 76-66 lead.
OKC continued to bury Minnesota in the fourth frame. Chet Holmgren sniffed out any faint comeback hopes and turned them into delusion. A 38-point period turned this from an intriguing battle into another boring blowout where the reserves checked in for the final minutes.
The Thunder shot 50% from the field and went 11-of-21 (52.4%) from 3. They shot 21-of-26 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 41 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 31 points and nine assists. Williams helped out with 19 points and eight rebounds. Holmgren had 15 points and seven rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves shot 35% from the field and went 15-of-51 (29.4) from 3. They shot 15-of-21 on free throws. They had 18 assists on 29 baskets. Two Timberwolves players scored double-digit points.
Anthony Edwards was limited to 18 points and nine rebounds. Randle led the way with 28 points and eight rebounds. The rest of Minnesota's depth were no-shows as OKC hounded its non-existent ball-handlers for turnovers.
It's only Game 1, but this was quite the statement by the Thunder. Many thought Minnesota's defense could put the Thunder in a bind. While it did early on, they only needed the halftime break to crack that code. OKC ran the Timberwolves out of the gym in the second half with another classic takeover like it's done several times this year.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Seeing Nickeil Alexander-Walker get in a defensive stance, Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops. He went right and shoulder-bumped off his cousin to create enough space to nail a mid-range jumper. That put the Thunder ahead for the rest of the way after being deadlocked at 60 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander played like somebody patient enough to receive his MVP trophy. He finished with 31 points on 10-of-27 shooting, nine assists and five rebounds. He shot 0-of-4 from 3 but went 11-of-14 on free throws. He also had three steals.
This playoff series is bout to produce ugly shooting splits. This isn't Denver's defense. The Timberwolves have been one of the better defensive squads this year and had several defenders to throw at Gilgeous-Alexander. Let's just say that plan didn't work out. McDaniels fouled out and Jaylen Clark couldn't recreate his regular-season magic.
While Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't dominate from the field with an inefficient outing at the mid-range, his constant free-throw trips made up for it. The Timberwolves couldn't defend the 26-year-old without fouling. Even his own family fell for his tricks.
The constant trips allowed Gilgeous-Alexander to soak in the MVP chants. As he scored 20 points in the second half to shatter Minnesota's hope of a Game 1 steal, he showed off with the entire NBA world's attention and proved why he's one of the league's best players.
22 takes it 🫳
2 scores it 🤌 pic.twitter.com/X70IN5rIyC
Sha🌪️ sp🌪️ns pic.twitter.com/gUGc4LFvOy
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025SHAI 😤😮💨 pic.twitter.com/zSnEkhcfiJ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025The energy in @PaycomCenter is rising 📈 pic.twitter.com/JB0ZsglP4q
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Hold up 😳 pic.twitter.com/C9GKEU4h64
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025LIKE HOW ⁉️ https://t.co/JBa7hgwajGpic.twitter.com/HnROsGyrzn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Jalen Williams: B
Cutting baseline, Williams found an opening. Wallace drew two defenders and softly threw the alley-oop to his All-Star teammate. The highlight pass had the OKC crowd go wild as the fourth quarter turned into a mini-party with the result already known.
Williams finished with 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had five steals.
After a slow first half, Williams helped blow the game open with 13 points in the second half. The rhythm scorer got into a flow out of the break. He drove to the basket and finished through traffic on several looks to balloon the Thunder's lead. This was some of the best shot-making we've seen from the 24-year-old all playoffs. Everything looked slow and intentional.
The defense speaks for itself. For all the criticisms of an inconsistent scorer, Williams is one of the best defenders. Five steals showed that. As he disrupted Minnesota's passing lanes. After a hot first half, Randle was shut down in the latter two quarters. Naz Reid's name wasn't even mentioned, either.
This is what the Thunder need from Williams. It doesn't always have to be a pretty 20 points, but he gutted out some buckets and got into a flow in the third quarter with his drives to the rim. When he looks like that, he's more than worthy of being Gilgeous-Alexander's Robin.
The steal that led to the dunk 🎥 https://t.co/wAgY7O1ITFpic.twitter.com/28HAJpsgi0
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Fl🛟at it in pic.twitter.com/rVVMtO02yf
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025This whole sequence = 🔋 pic.twitter.com/KBkyPA8GCH
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025ELECTRIC ENERGY IN LOUD CITY RIGHT NOW ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/cxGplk9JHr
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Chet Holmgren: B-plus
Rolling to the basket, Holmgren caught Gilgeous-Alexander's pass to him. Reid tried to steal the ball, but the seven-footer spun around and slammed it in. The 23-year-old was the ultimate janitor in the fourth quarter. Every time the Timberwolves would threaten a comeback, he'd clean up on OKC's misses for second-chance looks.
Holmgren finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-4 on free throws. He also had two blocks and a steal.
The fourth quarter was the best Holmgren has looked in all the playoffs as a scorer. He tallied nine points and stiff-armed the Timberwolves on the scoreboard. Cuts to the basket resulted in easy dunks. He hit a big-time outside bucket. The seven-footer looked comfortable with the ball in his hands and making acrobatic moves.
The Thunder have missed that from Holmgren in these playoffs. If he can continue to be a viable third threat, it'll be tough for the Timberwolves to ugly the games. On the other end, everybody knows what he brings to the table on defense. Elite shot-blocking and rim deterrence.
The newest lob just dropped 🚨 pic.twitter.com/kKhsxClQUH
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Things we love to see: turning defense into offense 👏 pic.twitter.com/GWtEy7MTu6
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025The first one 😤 pic.twitter.com/xQUFzWGc89
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Isaiah Hartensten: C
While the Thunder ran away on the scoreboard, the first adjustment they might need to make if the Timberwolves get a win is to go away with the double-big lineup. Daigneault has started the Holmgren-Hartenstein duo through all of their playoff games. Against the Timberwolves might not be the series for that.
Hartenstein finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and five rebounds. He also had a steal. Four fouls limited him to 20 minutes. That's the fewest among OKC's starters.
Not a coincidence to see the Thunder destroy the Timberwolves with their small-ball lineup. That could be their secret weapon that they lean on in a pinch. While Hartenstein has been an awesome addition, some matchups could cancel out his contributions.
Cason Wallace: A-minus
Throwing alley-oops to several of his teammates to demoralize Minnesota, Wallace was greeted by Hartenstein with Magic Johnson comparisons. The 21-year-old is officially a playoff riser and on the cusp of usurping Lu Dort as one of the Thunder's best five players.
Wallace finished with three points on 1-of-3 shooting, seven assists and three rebounds. He also had a steal.
Matched up against Edwards on several possessions, Wallace helped shut down the Timberwolves' superstar. The playmaking was a nice surprise. It's a sign of growth, as that was something he focused on this past offseason after being a textbook catch-and-shoot player.
Now you see Wallace dissect the middle of Minnesota's defense and find cutting teammates for easy buckets. To do that in a playoff setting is the latest of several examples that the 21-year-old has established himself as a vital piece of OKC's core.
Cason Wallac3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/PZc0suhxeS
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 21, 2025Kenrich Williams: A-plus
Collecting dust on the bench through the first two playoff rounds, Williams waited for his moment. A new playoff series meant new role players who could be a prime matchup. The 30-year-old was well-rested and had Daigneault look like a genius for going to him.
Williams finished with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting and three rebounds. He shot 2-of-2 from 3. He played 10 minutes off the bench and committed three fouls, but they were a loud 10 minutes.
The Thunder flexed their depth in the Western Conference Finals. Perhaps the Timberwolves are the perfect opponent to use Williams in considering their three-headed frontcourt monster. You'll need all the players you can get against them.
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder dominate in 114-88 Game 1 win over Timberwolves
English (US) ·