Strong Second Half Leads to Game 1 Victory for OKC Thunder Over Minnesota

Wiping the slate clean in the Western Conference finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a new series to take on against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The matchup ended in a 114-88 victory in favor of the Thunder.

There have been games where OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled, but none like he did in Game 1. He scored 11 points to open the first half on 2-for-13 shooting. Luckily, he got going in the second part of the game. He finished the night with 31 points on 10-for-27 shooting to lead all scorers, while going 11-for-14 from the free throw line.

Neither squad got out to an extraordinary start on offense, struggling to make shots of any sort. Gilgeous-Alexander resorted to getting to the free-throw line, but shots in general weren't falling early on.

The Timberwolves started out hot from the perimeter, but struggled by the time the clock hit zero. They went 15-for-51 compared to OKC's 11-for-21, setting a huge difference in offensive production. It appeared as if Minnesota was slated for a strong 3-point shooting night, which OKC's defense made sure wouldn't happen.

The Timberwolves took a big hit despite keeping a minor lead or staying tied with the Thunder when star guard Anthony Edwards missed the first portion of the second quarter. He eventually returned, giving the Minnesota faithful a scare.

Despite the star power on the court, Minnesota forward Julius Randle stole the show in the first half. He opened with 20 points, leading everybody in scoring until that point. The second half was a different story, however. He only scored eight more points by the game's end, struggling to find good looks and getting them to fall.

Edwards was held to only 18 points on 5-for-13 shooting, not scoring a single point in the fourth quarter, which started out tightly contested. The defensive effort on Edwards was excellent, a plan that OKC can only hope to replicate for future games.

Once Edwards checked back in, the Timberwolves managed to extend a small lead into a larger one. Minnesota tightened up on defense, making life hard for Gilgeous-Alexander, while also finding open perimeter shots. A pair of Isaiah Joe free throws lowered Oklahoma City's deficit to 48-44, but the Timberwolves had plenty of momentum.

It was more of the same to start the second half. Minnesota started off with triples from Mike Conley and Edwards and Gilgeous-Alexander was completely locked down.

That was all because of Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels. His length and hands were giving Gilgeous-Alexander all sorts of trouble, especially when he was taking the ball up the court.

OKC's fortune turned around late in the third quarter, with Gilgeous-Alexander finding his footing and some surprising bench help from forward Kenrich Williams helping to amass a double-digit lead. Gilgeous-Alexander gaining some rhythm helped, but things also clamped down on the defensive end.

The start of the fourth quarter was ugly, with both defenses making sure life was hard for the opposing offense. OKC's Jalen Williams helped out on that front with multiple deflections and pesky on-ball defense. McDaniels did the same for Minnesota, which didn't last long.

Williams was one of many high-impact players for the Thunder in Game 1. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists, along with a game-high five assists. He was everywhere, especially on defense, being a steady presence while Oklahoma City struggled early in the game.

Forward Chet Holmgren came alive in the second half, finding himself open while rolling to the basket and on second-chance opportunities. He finished the game with 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, adding seven rebounds to that finishing stat line.

It wasn't the prettiest game ever, but the Thunder showed plenty of resilience in the second half en route to the eventual victory. While finally gaining some traction on offense, OKC's defense late in the game was completely locked down. Edwards and Randle struggled

Game 2 will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 22, between the two squads in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center.