This one was over from the start.
A superior Oklahoma City Thunder team swarmed the Minnesota Timberwolves from the opening tip Wednesday night and cruised to a decisive, 124-94 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
The victory secures a 4-1 series victory for the Thunder and a berth in the NBA Finals. There, the Thunder will be overwhelming favorites to secure the franchise’s first NBA championship since it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, no matter the opponent.
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA all regular season and look very much poised for an NBA title run after steamrolling the Timberwolves in what was largely a dominant run through the Western Conference playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets pushed the Thunder to the brink in a stout seven-game test in the conference semifinals. But the Thunder capped the series with a Game 7 blowout over a core that led the Nuggets to a championship just two seasons ago. OKC’s depth and persistence on both sides of the floor ultimately wore Denver down.
Outside of that series, the West was a cakewalk for the Thunder, whose relentless defense and efficient offense were considerably more than either the Memphis Grizzlies or Timberwolves could handle. Look no further than Wednesday’s first quarter for evidence.
Dominant first quarter sinks Timberwolves
The Timberwolves got on the board first with a 3-point shot by Julius Randle. They didn’t score again until an Anthony Edwards layup with 6:53 left in the quarter mercifully ended a 1-for-11 start from the field.
By the time the first quarter was done, the Thunder had opened a 26-9 lead and limited the Timberwolves to their lowest output in any quarter this season. Cason Wallace added insult to injury with a 3-pointer to beat the first-quarter buzzer on a pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Timberwolves shot 3 of 20 from the field in the opening stanza. They missed all nine of their 3-point attempts. Edwards (six points) and Randle (three points) were the only Timberwolves players to score. Gilgeous-Alexander (12 points) outscored the Timberwolves on his own.
Thunder keep on the gas
The tepid effort signaled that Minnesota’s season was, indeed, over. There was no reprieve in the second quarter, and the Thunder entered halftime with a 65-32 lead. By then, the Timberwolves had more turnovers (14) than made field goals (12). Those turnovers frequently turned into points for Oklahoma City.
The only question remaining after halftime was whether Oklahoma City would challenge the record for the largest margin of victory in postseason history (58 points) that they’d flirted with already in these playoffs.
The Timberwolves fended off that ignominy and played a competitive third quarter that they won, 30-23. Their refusal to fold in after getting overwhelmed in the first half can stand as a point of pride for a Minnesota team that advanced to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season.
But make no mistake. The Timberwolves never stood a chance in this game or this series.
OKC was in a different class
After the grind of a second-round series against the Nuggets, The Thunder dominated the Timberwolves in two home games en route to a 2-0 lead that sparked questions of whether they’d lose a game in the series.
The Timberwolves responded emphatically in a 42-point win at home in Game 3 that marked the largest margin of defeat for the Thunder this season. But it was a mirage.
A Thunder team that’s been the best in basketball all season bounced back for a hard-fought road win in Game 4 in which it repeatedly met and rejected second-half efforts from the Timberwolves to take control. Each time the Timberwolves mounted a rally in Game 4, the Thunder had an answer. They never relinquished their second-half lead.
By the time Game 5 tipped Wednesday night, the series was over. A relentless and deep Thunder deep had worn the Timberwolves down, three games earlier than it did the Nuggets. Minnesota had nothing left in the tank and virtually waived the white flag before the first quarter was done.
Do Pacers or Knicks stand a chance?
The Thunder now stand four wins away from securing an NBA title. Barring a miracle Knicks rally from a 3-1 deficit, they’ll face an Indiana Pacers team sparked byf the surge to stardom of Tyrese Haliburton.
But Haliburton and the Pacers haven’t faced anything like this Thunder defense during their sensational playoff run. In the instance of a Knicks rally, neither has New York. The Thunder swept both teams in the regular season while winning three of the four games by double-digit margins.
Whomever advances out of the East will face an uphill climb against a Thunder team that looks very much poised to rise to the rank of NBA champions.
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