The Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back in a big way in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals as they led the Minnesota Timberwolves for nearly the entire game, holding on late for the 128-126 win to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Now the Thunder has a chance to close out the series at home, earning their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2012 and just the second in franchise history.
Despite the Timberwolves shooting lights out for a second consecutive game and topping the Thunder in nearly every major statistical category, Minnesota turned the ball over 21 times, giving OKC the edge they needed to win one in Minneapolis. With their season on the line, you can expect the Timberwolves to come out with a specific focus on taking care of the ball, but it will be difficult to replicate another shooting performance they were able to do at home.
The Thunder was finally able to hit some shots, knocking down 16-of-37 (43.2%) from downtown, and it could not have come at a better time. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nearly had a triple-double as he finished with 40 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds, and Jalen Williams added 34 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Despite leading for all but a few possessions, OKC struggled to pull away by too much as Minnesota did a great job at hitting back and keeping the game close. Still, when it came down to it, the Thunder got a stop when they needed it.
OKC has been fantastic at home all season long, especially in the playoffs, and now it’s time to finish this series off and move on to the big one.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: ESPN
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Minnesota Timberwolves Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Jalen Williams
- PF: Chet Holmgren
- C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Timberwolves
- PG: Mike Conley
- SG: Anthony Edwards
- SF: Jaden McDaniels
- PF: Julius Randle
- C: Rudy Gobert
Injury Report
Thunder
- Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) is OUT.
Timberwolves
- NONE
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 40-26 against the Timberwolves (20-12 at home, 20-14 on the road) and 3-1 in the Playoffs (2-0 at home, 1-1 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the 4-game regular season series against the Timberwolves 9 times, lost it 3 times, and tied it 4 times.
- The Thunder went 2-2 against the Timberwolves in the regular season (1-1 at home, 1-1 on the road).
- OKC leads Minnesota 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals (2-0 at home, 1-1 on the road).