Watch: Thunder Crush Timberwolves wins the West to reach the NBA Finals – Basketball Insider
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 to win the Western Conference Finals 4-1 and reach the NBA Finals.
This is the third blowout victory in the Thunder series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. Chet Holmgren scored 22 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jalen Williams added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP, which added to his league MVP honors and the scoring championship this season.
Anthony Edwards was quiet again, limiting it to 19 points in 18 shot-scoring attempts. Julius Randle is better, but his 24-pointer in 14 shots won’t help. No other beginner reaches double digits.
Oklahoma City is now awaiting the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. Indiana led Game 5 on Thursday night 3-1.
Any opponent will be an important weak player in the finals.
The Thunders achieved the league’s best 68-14 in the regular season and will therefore gain a home advantage in the NBA finals. This is the second entry in the series against the Miami Heat in 2012.
The first game of the NBA Finals will be Thursday, June 5.
The Thunder’s main defense is too much for the Timberwolves
This playoff story is Oklahoma City’s defense. In three blowout wins, the Thunder limited the Timberwolves’ 95.0 points per game.
It’s no surprise that the Thunder ranks first in the defensive level and can only score 107.7 points per 100 games in the playoffs. They do this on the back of extreme ball pressure, forcing the highest turnover rate in the playoffs.
Alex Caruso has been the unsung hero of the playoff run, showing his tremendous skill and acuity on that side of the ball.
Luguentz Dort failed his first appearance on a fully defensive team, which was extremely difficult for Edwards.
SGA is your Western Conference Finals MVP🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/rmctl7x6nv
– Stand Report (@BleacherReport) May 29, 2025
Timberwolves feels so close
This is another final loss for the Dallas Mavericks who stopped at this stage a year ago.
Like last year, Minnesota looked great in the first two rounds and then had flaws in the finals. If the excellent defender drama of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving could not be kept in a year ago, this time, it would not be possible to consistently penetrate the Thunder’s defense.
There are a lot to like about this Wolves, but there is obviously an extra organizer in need. Minnesota also has several games in this playoffs, with the icy three-pointer making it easier for the team to clog the paint.
This is a team focused on edge protection and climbing to the perimeter when needed.
