Story & Photos
By Michael Kinney
After getting drilled by 40 points in Game 3, the Oklahoma City Thunder had something to prove in Game 4. With a chance to take a commanding lead in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder held off Minnesota for a 128-126 victory Monday in Minneapolis.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned to his MVP levels and posted a near triple-double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He is only the fifth player in NBA history to post 40-9-10 in the conference finals.
“It’s fun. It’s up there with being at home,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about playing in Minnesota. “It’s your job to go out there and play basketball and shut them up.”
Jalen Williams added 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting and was a blistering 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Chet Holmgren chipped in 21 points, three blocks and seven boards.
It was the first time during this playoff run that Oklahoma City’s top three players all produced big numbers statistically.
“We still have so much room to grow, which is the scary part,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Minnesota gave Oklahoma City a run for their money and nearly were able to tie the series up. They made a comeback and were within striking distance in the final minutes.
But with 3.5 seconds left and the Timberwolves down by three, Anthony Edwards was fouled. After making the first free throw, he intentionally missed the second to give the home team a chance to tie or win the game.
However, Gilgeous-Alexander got to the ball first and threw out of bounds to run the clock down.
The victory gave Oklahoma City a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close it out Wednesday, back on their home court in the Paycom Center.
Watch Party
During the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder have started what could be a new playoff tradition going forward. Akin to the old Thunder alley, the franchise has opened up the Paycom Center during road games for watch parties.
Along with watching the game on the jumbo screen, Oklahoma City makes the experience as close to a home game experience as possible. That includes receiving a free Thunder rally towel, access to the food court, appearances from Rumble and Thunder entertainers, cheerleaders and other game night activities.
During both Game 3 and Game 4, the Thunder made 9,000 tickets available, and both games were sold out. However, somewhere between 6,000 and 7,000 showed up both nights, which happened to bookend Memorial Day weekend.
Despite that, the fans who did show up made it feel and sound like an actual home game.
Tickets are free and can only be secured online at the Thunder website.
Instagram: mkinneymedia
X (Twitter): MKinneyMedia
Youtube: Michael Kinney Media
Photos/Prints (SmugMug): Michael Kinney