Story & Photos
By Michael Kinney
OKLAHOMA CITY — At this point, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be named MVP of the NBA whenever it is announced.
However, when the Thunder guard took the court Tuesday night, he continued to play as if he was still out to prove he deserved it to the rest of the non-believers.
After a slow start in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander erupted in the second half to lead Oklahoma City to a 114-88 route over Minnesota at the Paycom Center.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 31 points to go along with nine assists and five rebounds. He shot 10-of-27 from the field and 11 of 14 from the charity stripe.
He was everything the Thunder needed him to be as Oklahoma City took a 1-0 series lead.
“At the end of the night, it’s basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They throw you a problem, you get to solve it, whatever it looks like. That’s what it is every night. That’s what it was. You have to attack it and work together as a unit to solve the problem. We did that.”
After losing Game 1 in the previous series against Denver, the Thunder made sure they weren’t going to fall into a similar trap. However, it was easy.
Despite Gilgeous-Alexander having a terrible shooting (2 of 13) first half, the Thunder only trailed 48-44 at halftime. That was mostly due to Edwards having a paltry offensive performance and the Timberwolves turning the ball over nine times in the first half.
“To play as poorly as we did offensively in the first half and be down four was a major victory for us at halftime and the defense was a huge catalyst in that,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Offensively, it’s a very different series.”
At some point, one of these two explosive teams was going to have to find its offense. That turned out to be the one with the possible MVP of the league on its roster.
Gilgeous-Alexander took over in the third quarter as he knocked down 5 of his 8 shots and made a living at the free-throw line. The more aggressive he got, the louder the fans became. Or vice versa.
Oklahoma City’s four-point deficit turned into a 10-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
As devastating as Gilgeous-Alexander was, it was Oklahoma City’s swarm defense that won the game for them. They refused to give the Timberwolves a chance to breathe when they had the ball in their hands. One defender quickly multiplied into three, and a turnover would ensue. That had 22 turnovers on the night.
The Timberwolves were left to take hurried 3-pointers and off-balanced drives into the lane.
With Rudy Gobert in foul trouble, Chet Holmgren stepped to the forefront on both ends of the floor in the fourth. He knocked down 3-pointers while also driving the ball into the paint.
The Thunder’s versatile offense had the Timberwolves scrambling the rest of the night. Minnesota was outscored 70-40 in the second half.
Jalen Williams added 19 points, 8 rebounds, five assists, and 5 steals. Holmgren chipped in 15, 7 boards, and 2 blocked shots.
Edwards was never able to get going and was unable to match Gilgeous-Alexander in the box score or highlights. He was held to 18 points on 5 of 13 shooting. Julius Randle paced the Timberwolves with 28 points and 8 rebounds.
Oklahoma City won the rebound and turnover battle. Both have been crucial to their success throughout the season.
“That’s what the first game of the season is about. That’s what the first game of the playoffs is about. That’s what the last game of the playoffs is about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You just continue to get better through the experiences. You can’t control what they throw at us. You can just control how we attack it and how we approach it. That’s what we did last series. This series will look different.”
Game 2 is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Paycom Center.
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