OKC is within the NBA Finals: How the Thunder superior and went unsuitable for the Wolves

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are on their option to the NBA Finals after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 video games to clinch the Western Convention. 

The Thunder at the moment are again within the NBA Finals for the primary time since 2012 and now await the winners of the Japanese Convention, with the Indiana Pacers holding a 3-1 benefit over the New York Knicks. 

It was the second straight season that Minnesota reached the West finals, however as soon as once more got here up quick. The Timberwolves have nonetheless but to achieve the NBA Finals in franchise historical past. 

Here is what stood out after the Thunder’s Sport 5 win and what’s subsequent as they gear up for the NBA Finals.

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Sport 5: Thunder 124, Timberwolves 94

What went proper for Oklahoma Metropolis?

Nice groups have a approach of constructing issues cool. The Golden State Warriors made taking pictures from anyplace on the courtroom cool due to Stephen Curry. The Denver Nuggets made a 7-footer who may play one-to-five offensively cool due to Nikola Jokic. 

The Thunder are making protection cool.

Their swarming protection fully sucked the life out of the Timberwolves, who sailed via the primary two rounds of the playoffs towards the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in 5 video games apiece, however resembled one thing extra like a JV crew towards Oklahoma Metropolis. 

That was by no means extra clear than Sport 5 when the Timberwolves, who have been dealing with elimination, had extra turnovers (14) than area objectives (12) within the first half. The Thunder’s protection suffocated the Timberwolves, who trailed by as a lot as 39 factors and shot solely 41.2 p.c from the sphere and 35.3 p.c from past the arc with their season on the road. 

The Thunder, who’ve the youngest crew within the playoffs, did not blink towards the pink sizzling Timberwolves, holding them to only 88 factors in Sport 1 and 95 factors in Sport 5. Apart from Sport 3, their solely lack of the sequence, the Thunder’s greatest takeaway was at all times their unbridled dominance on the much less glamorous finish of the courtroom. 

The Thunder’s NBA-best defensive ranking within the common season (106.6) solely turned tighter and extra deadly within the playoffs, the place they’ve once more led all groups with a 105.7 ranking. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder impressed on each ends of the courtroom. (Picture by Matthew Stockman/Getty Photos)

What went unsuitable for Minnesota? 

Coming into the Western Convention Finals, the Timberwolves appeared like a real two-way crew. However towards the Thunder, they struggled to get something going offensively. 

Anthony Edwards went from wanting like he was knocking on the door to changing into the long run face of the league (whether or not he needed it or not), to realizing he has just a few rungs of the ladder left to climb earlier than really changing into a famous person.

Julius Randle went from wanting like an All-Star this postseason to combating inconsistency towards the Thunder, together with ending with six factors or fewer twice.

Rudy Gobert went from wanting like Shaquille O’Neal in Sport 5 of the Timberwolves’ first-round sequence towards the Lakers to wanting like a six-footer towards the Thunder, together with ending with two factors and 5 rebounds along with his crew’s season hanging within the steadiness. 

And guys like Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, who have been shining of their roles the primary two rounds, have been a barely-flickering mild towards Oklahoma Metropolis. 

It is now two straight seasons that Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have fell quick within the West. (Picture by Matthew Stockman/Getty Photos)

The Thunder are within the Finals. They’re going to win if __:

What’s crystal clear is the Thunder’s protection is not going to let up. That is a whole crew effort and everybody has full buy-in. 

However Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has by no means been on this place earlier than and he is proving he really is the Most Priceless Participant within the NBA. He has shone in these playoffs, together with main the Thunder in scoring in each sport towards the Timberwolves and scoring 30 or extra factors in 4 of these contests. 

If Gilgeous-Alexander retains dominating on the offensive finish and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren hold making important contributions, and the Thunder hold overwhelming groups on the defensive finish, it’s arduous to think about anybody can cease them from profitable a title.  

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA author for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand coated the league for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Occasions, the Bay Space Information Group and the San Antonio Categorical-Information. Observe her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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