Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 40, Thunder defense forcing 23 turnovers has OKC one win from NBA Finals
It was the two words in all caps and red ink at the top of the scouting report for Minnesota going into the Western Conference Finals:
Limit turnovers.
The Timberwolves had to break even in the possession game to upset the Thunder in this series. They failed at that in the biggest moment of their season Monday night — Minnesota turned the ball over 23 times and allowed 19 Oklahoma City offensive rebounds in Game 4. The result was the Thunder getting up 11 more shots in the game.
That was the difference in what an epic, high-level playoff game, one of the best of the postseason. Well, turnovers and a career playoff high 40 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA DROPS A NEAR 40-POINT TRIPLE DOUBLE 🤯
⚡️ 40 PTS
⚡️ 10 AST
⚡️ 9 REB
The @okcthunder take a 3-1 Western Conference Finals lead! pic.twitter.com/Lu44iHcoLs
Oklahoma City hung on at the end for a 128-126 Game 4 win that puts them up 3-1 in the series. The Thunder can close the series out Wednesday night at home.
This is a gut-punch loss for the Timberwolves because they played well enough to win:
• Minnesota created better looks most of the night.
• Minnesota shot better, including 18-of-41 (43.9%) from 3.
• Minnesota grabbed 19 offensive rebounds themselves.
• Minnesota got 64 points from their bench behind Nickeil Alexander-Walker scoring 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, Donte DiVincenzo scoring 21, including five 3-pointers, and 11 points from Naz Reid.
'Definitely sucks being that close…' Alexander-Walker said postgame. 'Everything is out there, there are no secrets — they know how to beat us and we know how to beat them.'
What hurt the Thunder was a slow start and rough night from Anthony Edwards, who scored 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Which was better than Julius Randle, who struggled again with five points on 1-of-7 shooting (but nine rebounds).
Not only did SGA step up for the Thunder, but so did their next stars: Jalen Williams had 34 points, including six 3-pointers, while Chet Holmgren had 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, including a critical one late.
J-Dub (34p, 6 3pm, 5a) and Chet (21p, 7r, 3b) came up HUGE in OKC's Game 4 road W 🔥💯
The Thunder (up 3-1) are just a win away from advancing to the Finals! pic.twitter.com/zPfX8mnwnu
After coming out flat and getting blown out in Game 3, the Thunder came out Monday with increased defensive ball pressure and activity — looking like themselves again — except it didn't work. For example, the Thunder defense forced the ball to Jaden McDaniels, but he responded with 10 early points. Minnesota shot 63.2% in the first quarter but trailed 37-30 after one because of their seven turnovers in the frame. That was the theme of the night.
So was Oklahoma City taking a small lead (never more than 11) and then Minnesota walking them down. It was a physical, intense, high-level game of basketball played well by both teams.
The last time the Thunder got one of those small leads they held on, and now they have a commanding lead in the series.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Makes Big Announcement Before Thunder-Pacers Finals
NBA Makes Big Announcement Before Thunder-Pacers Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Oklahoma City Thunder are hot as they enter the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder made relatively quick work of the Minnesota Timberwolves, defeating them 4-1 in a gentleman's sweep in the Western Conference Finals. Advertisement As for the Pacers, they wrapped up an action-packed series with one of their biggest rivals in the New York Knicks and won the series 4-2. The Pacers' road to the NBA Finals has been impressive, knocking off the Milwaukee Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks. Mar 29, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second half at Paycom Center. © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images NBA makes big announcement before Thunder-Pacers Finals While the matchup between the Thunder and the Pacers isn't what some would call a big-market series, the level of play these two teams have shown to get to this point has been sensational. Ahead of Game 1, the NBA announced which referees will be officiating throughout the NBA Finals. The list included notable names such as David Guthrie, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba, and Scott Foster. The Thunder will hope this trip back to the NBA Finals goes better than the last time they made it in 2012, when they lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat. As for the Pacers, this marks their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2000, when they lost to Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. Advertisement No matter which team wins, it'll be the first championship in the respective organization's history. But the Thunder are overwhelming favorites at -700, which implies a probability of 87.5%. The Thunder continue to display the dominance they showed in the regular season when they finished with the best record in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be the best player in the league, night in and night out. Add that to their suffocating defense, and the Thunder might just be able to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
Rick Carlisle on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of 2025 NBA Finals: 'Born to be great'
Rick Carlisle on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of 2025 NBA Finals: 'Born to be great' While the average fan might flip through the channels, basketball diehards understand the 2025 NBA Finals might cap off one of the greatest individual seasons ever. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at the doorstep to complete a rare trifecta of MVP, Finals MVP and a championship ring. The Oklahoma City Thunder enter as a heavy favorite over the Indiana Pacers in the championship round. The NBA Finals usually feature two of the best teams, but this year's clash has one of the greatest teams ever against a red-hot squad nobody thought would reach this stage. To say it's one-sided is nicely putting it. I've yet to see anybody credible pick the Pacers to win the NBA Finals. Sure, some might see them push OKC to six games, but that's about it. Gilgeous-Alexander is on a mission to bring home a championship. That'll put him in the pantheon with all-time greats like Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant. Most folks are late to the part, but Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is a basketball junky that doesn't need social media and TV figures to tell him who are the league's best players. Already calling the Thunder the best team on the planet from their last date in March, he went out of his way to compliment the MVP winner. "This guy was born to be great. You can just tell. He has a demeanor and a coolness and an attitude. He's unflappable. He knows who he is and he has great belief in himself," Carlisle said about Gilgeous-Alexander. "From afar and I've been watching this guy, it's pretty breathtaking. Looks like the guy doesn't even break a sweat. It's really hard to fathom how difficult it is to score 30 points in one men's league game. Let alone doing it every game for two years in a row in the NBA." I'm sure Gilgeous-Alexander has been drowned in compliments, but Carlisle's comments should stick out for the right reasons. He's one of the greatest NBA head coaches of all time. Wherever he goes, winning follows. So, for the future Hall-of-Famer to pen a vocal love letter like that should bring a smile to his face as he awaits his squad for the NBA Finals.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Indiana Pacers' team flight to NBA Finals takes a detour due to tornado warning in Oklahoma City
The Indiana Pacers' journey to the NBA Finals was never going to be easy, but it got a little more complicated, and it had nothing to do with basketball. The team's flight bound for Oklahoma City for a Game 1 tilt with the Thunder was detoured by literal thunder and forced to land in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to a tornado warning in the capital Tuesday afternoon. 'The Pacers team plane circled due to the weather in Oklahoma City and subsequently landed in Tulsa to re-fuel,' a representative for the team said. The Pacers have since told CNN that the team jet has departed Tulsa to complete its journey to Oklahoma City. 'We're appreciative of the efforts made by the Delta pilots and crew, and hope everyone in Oklahoma City and the surrounding affected areas remained safe,' the team said in its updated statement. CNN has reached out to the NBA for comment on the situation. The Pacers are playing for a championship for the first time since 2000, when the team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the franchise's one and only NBA Finals appearance. The Pacers' path to the Finals included victories over the Milwaukee Bucks, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and a six-game defeat of the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Thunder meanwhile are appearing in their first NBA Finals since 2012, where they lost to the Miami Heat. The franchise's only NBA championship came in 1979, when the team was known as the Seattle SuperSonics. The Western Conference's No. 1 seed, the Thunder, advanced to the Finals with a sweep against the Memphis Grizzlies, a seven-game epic against the Denver Nuggets, and most recently a five-game win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The best-of-seven NBA Finals begins with Game 1 Thursday night in Oklahoma City. CNN's Angela Fritz contributed to this report
