The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 124-94 win Wednesday night to close out the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
They became the second-youngest team (average age of 25.6 years old) to advance to the NBA Finals, trailing only the Portland Trail Blazers’ 1976-1977 championship team, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
In the process, Oklahoma City passed a test on handling playoff prosperity and celebrated another big step toward their championship goals with a boisterous sellout crowd at the Paycom Center.
“The focus through the distraction of a closeout game to go to the Finals is what was most impressive,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I mean, they were laser focused today, and that allowed our best to come to the surface.”
The first half, in particular, displayed the Thunder, who set an NBA record for point differential during a 68-win regular season, at their peak.
Oklahoma City jumped to a 17-point lead in the first quarter, when the Thunder held the Timberwolves to only nine points, Minnesota’s fewest in any quarter this season and in the franchise’s playoff history.
The Thunder had a 65-32 half-time lead after the Timberwolves had more turnovers (14) than made field goals (12) against Oklahoma City’s swarming, smothering defense that ranked No. 1 in the league this season.
“It almost seemed like we did everything we were supposed to do,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 34 points and eight assists to put the finishing touches on his Western Conference finals MVP performance.
“We made it tough on the guys we were supposed to make it tough on. Well, I thought it was tough for everybody [on the Timberwolves]. We were clicking on all cylinders as far as what their tendencies are, what our game plan is, how we want to impact the game, how we want to impact the ball.
“Then from there, we were able to just run and have fun and be ourselves. It really starts with defense for us.”
Gilgeous-Alexander generated 32 points in the first half, matching Minnesota’s total, scoring 20 and dishing out five assists. Chet Holmgren (22 points) and Jalen Williams (19 points), the Thunder’s supporting stars, combined for 30 points in the half.
“It’s great to feel like you didn’t leave anything on the table,” Holmgren said.
The second half was a celebration, as Minnesota never mounted anything resembling a comeback threat.
“I wanted the fans to be able to enjoy the moment with us,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who endured a rebuilding process that included 22- and 24-win seasons before Oklahoma City made double-digit leaps in the win column in each of the past three seasons.
“I wanted them to be able to see it all with their own eyes. I wanted them to celebrate tonight in our building, go home, get drunk, whatever they do. I just wanted to make sure that above all I can give my energy and my effort to try to get these fans what they deserve.”
This marked the Thunder’s fourth win by a margin of at least 30 points during this playoff run, the most by any team in a single postseason, according to ESPN Research.
It was Oklahoma City’s second consecutive closeout win that was a blowout, following the Thunder’s 32-point Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The only other teams with multiple 30-plus-point closeout wins during a playoff run were the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers and 2008 Boston Celtics, both of whom won championships. The Thunder await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Indiana Pacers lead 3-1 over the New York Knicks.
As much as Oklahoma City enjoyed the West championship trophy ceremony at midcourt, the Thunder’s focus quickly shifted toward the Finals.
“Obviously happy for the moment, but this isn’t our goal,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the first player to earn a trip to the Finals in the same season he won MVP since Stephen Curry in 2015-2016.
“This isn’t the end of the road. There was no special conversation. It was just, let’s keep getting better. One more series to go.
“We are a step closer to our goal, and we’re happy about that. But there are still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win. We need to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.”
ESPN
