Oklahoma Takes Lead in Opening Game of Western Conference Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding 1–0 lead in the Western Conference Finals with a dominant 114–88 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
The game showcased two vastly different halves. Minnesota controlled much of the first half, displaying confidence and energy against the top-seeded Thunder. Led by Julius Randle, who dropped 20 points in the opening two quarters, the Timberwolves entered halftime with a 48–44 lead, while Oklahoma struggled to find their offensive rhythm.
But the Thunder roared back in the third quarter, outscoring Minnesota 32–18 to flip the script and seize a 76–66 advantage heading into the final period. That momentum shift was sparked by a much-improved defensive effort and the resurgence of Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had only 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting rate in the first half. He added 12 points in the third quarter alone, with Jalen Williams chipping in 9 points during the surge.
Oklahoma’s defense tightened the screws, containing Randle and completely shutting down Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points, leading all scorers. Williams followed with 19 points, Chet Holmgren added 15, and German-American big man Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12.
On the Timberwolves' side, Randle ended with 28 points, while Edwards tallied 18 despite picking up an ankle injury during the game.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault credited his team's resilience and defensive commitment:
“Going into halftime down only four, considering how poorly we played offensively, was a win in itself,” he said. “Our defense was the main catalyst for that.”
Daigneault acknowledged the adjustment phase against a new opponent: “Their style is completely different. It took us time to find our rhythm, but our defense gave us the margin to figure things out.”
Gilgeous-Alexander confirmed his coach’s sentiment, admitting the team started flat: “Honestly, we were a bit lazy in the first half — we shouldn’t have been. We missed a lot of easy shots and free throws. But once we picked up the intensity and trusted our game, things clicked.”
He emphasized the importance of a long-term mindset: “Game One is just the beginning. It’s about learning each other. Game Two will be different, with adjustments on both sides. It’s not a sprint — it’s a series.”
The Thunder’s star guard also highlighted their second-half strategy against Randle: “We tried to be more physical with him, make him uncomfortable. That’s what you need to do with great players — and we did that after halftime.”
He added: “But to be a truly great team, you have to do it for all 48 minutes. Still, we’ll definitely take this win,” he added.
On the other bench, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch pointed to a lack of execution in the second half: “We lost our patience offensively, and that affected our defense. When we did get good looks, we didn’t convert. That can’t happen at this level.”
Finch concluded, “We allowed the game to slip away when we couldn’t make our opportunities count. That’s something we need to fix heading into Game Two.”
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