For the first time in nearly a decade, the Oklahoma City Thunder are heading back to the Western Conference finals. They earned the opportunity with a commanding 125-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round series on Sunday night.
It marks the Thunder’s first trip to the conference finals since 2016, and their first since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the franchise cornerstone. Oklahoma City will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. (ET), opening a best-of-seven series that features two of the league’s most tenacious defensive teams.
Unlike their first two playoff rounds, the Thunder will enter this one with minimal rest. Oklahoma City had a full week off before its opening-round sweep of Memphis and another nine-day layoff ahead of its series with Denver. This time, the turnaround is just two days. Minnesota, which eliminated Golden State in five games, has been idle since May 14.
“We are going to get prepared as well as we can,” Thunder guard Cason Wallace said. “Take what we need, get healthy, get right, fuel back up and get ready to go.”
Oklahoma City Thunder Embrace Defense, Discipline and a Familiar Foe
The matchup brings together the NBA’s top two postseason defenses. Oklahoma City leads all teams with a 101.6 defensive rating across 11 playoff games. Minnesota is close behind at 106.8. The teams split their regular-season series 2-2, with each winning once on the road.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault cautioned against leaning too heavily on those results.
“Apples to apples, I don’t know if those games are the perfect framework through which to look at the series,” Daigneault said. “They’re pretty much fully whole right now, which is a big difference from back then. So are we.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging 29.0 points, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds in the playoffs, delivered 35 points and three steals without turning it over in the Game 7 win — the only Thunder player besides Kevin Durant to post at least 35 in a Game 7.
“Yeah, it feels good,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, our ultimate goal isn’t just the Western Conference Finals. You’ve got to go through there to get there. We’ve got four more games to go get against a really good team in the Timberwolves, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
He’ll share the floor with Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker — his cousin and longtime training partner. Both were born in Toronto and attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Tennessee.
“It’ll be very fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “If you know how close we are, he’s literally like my second brother. … But I am trying to take his head off for sure.”
Alexander-Walker helped limit Gilgeous-Alexander to 5-of-19 shooting in a 2023 play-in game. He said the MVP candidate’s consistency has separated him from others.
“That comes from diligence, hard work, seeing it firsthand, and discipline that truthfully I haven’t seen in anybody else,” Alexander-Walker said. “He’s just been able to be consistently that.”
Turnovers, Matchups Could Shape the Western Conference Finals
Oklahoma City forced turnovers on 15.7 percent of opponent possessions in the playoffs — the highest rate of any team. Minnesota has been relatively effective at limiting turnovers this season, but has turned it over at a higher rate in the postseason compared to its regular season production. The Thunder capitalized on Denver’s mistakes in the second round and will look to apply similar pressure against a Timberwolves team that thrives in transition but can be vulnerable under defensive duress.
The anticipated matchup between Lu Dort and Anthony Edwards is expected to be a key battleground. Dort has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most physical on-ball defenders, while Edwards enters the series averaging 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists in the playoffs.
Minnesota reshaped its core ahead of the season, trading Karl-Anthony Towns to New York in a cost-cutting move and bringing in Julius Randle, who has averaged 23.9 points and 5.9 assists this postseason. His frontcourt pairing with Rudy Gobert gives the Timberwolves a physical edge, but the Thunder are expected to lean more on Chet Holmgren at center after deploying a two-big lineup with Isaiah Hartenstein at times against Nikola Jokić.
Holmgren is averaging 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks through 11 playoff games, and his ability to stretch the floor and anchor the paint will be critical against Minnesota’s size.
Jalen Williams, who averaged 17.6 points in the second round and scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting in Game 7, may play an expanded offensive role as Gilgeous-Alexander navigates defensive matchups with Jaden McDaniels and Alexander-Walker.
Daigneault believes the group has grown throughout its playoff run.
“Seven games is long and you’re not going to play optimal basketball throughout,” he said. “We didn’t play great. But to hang in there the way we did and get back on track — that was impressive.”
The Thunder last reached the NBA Finals in 2012 behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. With Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren now leading the way, Oklahoma City is four wins from a return trip.
“We don’t play to answer anybody,” Daigneault said. “We just play for one another and for our fans. That’s enough.”
