OKC Thunder Outlive Minnesota Behind Strong Performance From Gilgeous-Alexander

In a back-and-forth game of runs, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled out a 130-123 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

These two teams faced off right before the All-Star break started and it did not go well for OKC. A more consistent, well-rounded performance would be required to take down Minnesota, and for the most part, the Thunder got that.

Minnesota got out to a quick 11-5 run, locking down on defense and making life hard for OKC. Quickly, the Thunder bounced back by going on a 22-4 run. Oklahoma City led 52-33 with 7:37 to play in the first half, responding well to a poor opening stretch of play.

Turnovers were a very prominent issue for the Thunder in the first half. They committed eight as a team, only committing 11.2 on average this season. The most guilty of the turnover struggles was the most unsuspecting, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander committed four in his first 18 minutes of game time. They finished the game with 13 turnovers, decreasing the frequency of those as the game progressed.

After the 22-4 run, it looked like the Thunder would run away with the game. That wasn't the case at all, as Naz Reid and Anthony Edwards had different plans. Reid had 16 first-half points and Edwards 10, aiding in the run and pushing the Timberwolves ahead by the end of the half. Minnesota led 63-61, but Jalen Williams closed that gap with a one-legged half-court shot.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the half with 15 points, Williams 11 and forward Chet Holmgren 10. Holmgren got out to a quick 4-for-5 start with two triples made but failed to generate more offense for the rest of the half.

The Thunder also got out to a hot outside shooting start, going 7-for-14 from the three-point line on 50% shooting. Minnesota was better later in the half, but they went 7-for-20 overall in the opening 24 minutes. Holmgren and guard Isaiah Joe led the way in perimeter shooting early for the Thunder with two apiece, as did Reid with the Timberwolves.

OKC did not get out to the start they needed to begin the second half. Despite starting 7-for-9 from the field, the usually solid on-defense Thunder squad couldn't get stops. All of the Minnesota starting lineup caught fire, with good ball movement and solid shot-making helping them stay ahead.

It wasn't until the 3:44 mark that the Thunder regained the lead, thanks to an assist from Gilgeous-Alexander. A Wiggins triple-one offensive possession later would get that lead to 91-89, setting the stage for a cage match in the final quarter of the game.

All game for the Timberwolves, they got a spark from rookie guard Jaylen Clark. In only his sixteenth game of his career, he scored 14 points and grabbed four steals in his second career start. His solid play continues to set the stage for him to earn a larger role in Minnesota this season and beyond.

Despite Gilgeous-Alexander finishing the night with 37 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Aaron Wiggins gave the Thunder a massive scoring boost in the second half. He hit three triples in the half and finished the game with 15 points,

After gaining a six-point lead early into the quarter, Minnesota's Nickeil Alexander-Walker knocked down two-straight triples, quickly evening the score and preparing the Thunder for a challenging final 9:21 of basketball. Alexander-Walker finished the game with 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting.

A high level of shot-making commenced down the stretch of this game, with the Thunder embarking on an 18-4 run, going up by as much as 11 points. In normal fashion compared to the rest of the game, Edwards and the Timberwolves responded, bringing it back to within five.

Edwards had the chance to bring it to one possession with a stepback triple but missed, ending the game. Despite the impressive comeback, the Thunder held on to the win to add another solid win.

If you thought the Thunder were done playing against Minnesota this season, you're wrong. Both squads will make the trip back to Oklahoma City for the final matchup of the two squads' four-game series.

The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. CT on Monday, Feb. 24 in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center.

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