The Thunder dominated the second half en route to a Game 1 victory in the NBA Western Conference finals. Can the Timberwolves adjust to their relentless pressure?
Game 1 of the Western Conference finals was a reminder of how thin the margin is when competing at this stage of the NBA playoffs.
The Minnesota Timberwolves started the game with a focused and professional effort behind Julius Randle, who scored 20 points in the opening half – including 3 of 3 from the 3-point line in the second quarter. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by a more decisive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, controlled the tempo and buried the Wolves under a 70–40 second-half run on the way to a 114-88 victory.
Despite Minnesota’s fast start, the Thunder laid the foundation early on the defensive end. Their ability to generate turnovers – forcing seven in the first quarter and converting them into 13 points – helped them stay within striking distance while their offense sputtered.
They stuck to their plan, prioritizing rim protection and making the Wolves a jump-shooting team. Even as Julius Randle found a groove from the perimeter in the second quarter, Oklahoma City remained composed, closing out under control and keeping the Timberwolves out of the paint. By halftime, the Thunder held an 18-point edge in points in the paint (22–4), a stat that underscored how effectively they executed their plan to wall off the restricted area.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective – just enough resistance to hold the line until their offense found traction.
For Minnesota, the second half exposed familiar issues. The Timberwolves couldn’t create consistent advantages offensively. Anthony Edwards, crowded and loaded up on every touch, never found a flow. The Wolves shot just 29.4% from 3 and were often left stagnant on the second side. Their defense, which had carried them through much of the postseason, couldn’t withstand the compounding pressure – and OKC’s depth exposed it.
The Thunder’s bench was identified as one of their advantages coming into the series, and in Game 1, it showed up in a big way. Kenrich Williams, the latest two-way contributor to leave a mark, provided the spark in the third quarter. He changed the tone of the game with his energy, screening, and activity on both ends.
Once Minnesota fell behind, they were forced to overextend defensively. That unlocked the Thunder’s offense beyond SGA – Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams scored 13 apiece in the second half.
Now, the Timberwolves need to re-center. Game 2 isn’t about reinvention – it’s about recalibration. With margins this small, everyone has to be better against a team that was the NBA’s best during the regular season.
Imposing Their Will
Although Game 1s tend to have a feeling-out quality, the Wolves missed a real opportunity to steal one. They needed cleaner spacing, earlier decisions, more movement for Edwards, better rhythm for Naz Reid, and more touches to unlock Randle – at least more frequently.
Heading into Game 2, the adjustments are straightforward. Minnesota needs to create better spacing and force Oklahoma City into rotations by touching the paint early in the possession. They have to take better care of the ball. The Thunder finished Game 1 with 13 steals, and those giveaways fueled transition opportunities they can’t afford to surrender, especially on the road, especially against an Oklahoma City team that is too good to give free points.
The Wolves don’t want to play with full-court pace – that favors Oklahoma City – but they can play with more tempo and purpose in the half court to generate closeouts. Randle can’t settle on the perimeter for long stretches – the Wolves need him inside the arc, drawing help and creating advantages.
Edwards, meanwhile, has to be moved around – off pindowns, ghost screens, and/or empty-side action – to keep OKC’s defense from loading up early in the clock. Defensively, the Wolves need to show SGA different looks to keep him off balance – and maybe mix in some zone.
That’s easier said than done. Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 34.2 points and 7.2 assists against the Timberwolves this season. He’s scored 30 or more in four of the five meetings, and while this is the best defense he’s faced in the playoffs, there’s little question he’s going to be productive.
The challenge isn’t whether he can be effective. It’s whether Minnesota can make him work for it every trip, because the burden on Edwards at the other end is steeper.
Oklahoma City has seen Edwards often enough to know how to crowd his space, load up the help, and make every read feel heavier than it should. Over five meetings this season, he’s struggled to find his rhythm – shooting just 36.7% from the field and 32.6% from 3. He’s posted a negative plus/minus in four of those five matchups, and he’s shot under 40% in each of the last four.
Depth Perception
The demands placed on Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander highlight the need for consistent, high-leverage contributions from the supporting cast – especially the second units. In a series in which defensive focus is drawn so tightly around each team’s primary star, the second units will have real influence.
Game 1 offered an example of that. The aforementioned Kenrich Williams (+13) teamed with Cason Wallace (+16) to tilt the game in the third quarter, combining energy with execution and sparking a stretch that changed momentum.
The picture is less certain for the Wolves. Their second unit has to find a way to take pressure off Edwards, and that starts with making shots. Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Reid combined to shoot 5 for 28 from 3 in Game 1. The bench doesn’t need to win Minnesota the game, but it has to give them a chance to manage Edwards’ workload and punish OKC when the defense overcommits.
And then there’s identity under pressure. The Thunder are deep, tenacious and relentless. Their defense wears teams down over the course of a game, and OKC rarely blinks first. That kind of sustained pressure – not just in moments but across 48 minutes – is what makes the Thunder so difficult to break.
The Wolves want control, half-court depth and defensive attrition. But they also face decisions. Edwards has to be special, but in what ways? Can he be efficient while carrying the scoring load, or does his best path lie in being a primary creator for others? Do the Wolves have enough answers – on either side of the ball – to hold up against OKC’s pace, skill and versatility?
A series doesn’t start until someone wins a game on the road, but the Wolves should feel some urgency to bring the best version of themselves to Game 2.
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