Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a dominant second-half performance to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 114-88 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference finals.
Despite a sluggish start, the Thunder regrouped after halftime to take control and send a statement to their playoff rivals.
Although Minnesota came out firing – thanks largely to Julius Randle’s explosive 20-point first half – they couldn’t maintain momentum. The Timberwolves took a narrow 48-44 lead into halftime, but their rhythm was disrupted once the Thunder turned up the intensity.
While the opening minutes exposed Oklahoma City’s rust, Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged that the early struggles were self-inflicted.
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“We were missing layups and free throws,” he told ESPN postgame. “We just needed to keep being aggressive and trust our work.”
The Thunder star responded accordingly, pouring in 20 of his 31 total points in the second half. Beyond scoring, he added five rebounds and a game-high nine assists. He continues to prove why he remains a frontrunner in the MVP conversation.
Moreover, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasised the need for continued focus, noting that Game 1 is only the beginning.
“Game ones are feel-out games,” he said. “In Game two, they’re going to make adjustments and so will we. It’s not first to one – it’s best-of-seven.”
Thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander’s leadership, the Thunder carry momentum into Game 2, which takes place in Oklahoma City on Friday. With their top seed status reaffirmed, the Thunder will look to build on this dominant victory and edge closer to an NBA Finals return.
Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, Western Conference finals, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Julius Randle.
