The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game 5 of their Western Conference finals series, advancing to the NBA Finals as the second-youngest team in league history. The Thunder’s high-powered offense and stifling defense led by coach Mark Daigneault and star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander propelled them to a dominating win.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points and dished out eight assists, while Chet Holmgren added 22 points in the first half as Oklahoma City jumped to a 17-point lead. The Thunder’s defense, ranked No. 1 in the league this season, held Minnesota to nine points in the quarter, setting an NBA record for fewest points allowed by any team.
In the second half, the Timberwolves’ efforts were futile, and the Thunder celebrated their fourth win by at least 30 points during the playoffs. Oklahoma City is now one step closer to its championship goal but acknowledges that four more games remain in a challenging series against the Eastern Conference finalists, the Indiana Pacers.
“We are happy about being here, but we’re not satisfied,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We need to be our best selves for the next four nights to reach our ultimate goal.” The Thunder’s path forward is clear: improve and win their next three series to capture the NBA championship.
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45368421/thunder-oust-wolves-5-roll-first-nba-finals-12