Player grades: Thunder clinch NBA Finals spot with 124-94 Game 5 win over Timberwolves

USA Today

3 days ago

Player grades: Thunder clinch NBA Finals spot with 124-94 Game 5 win over Timberwolves
OKLAHOMA CITY — Despite being up by a gazillion points, none of the 18K Paycom Center fans left their seat to beat traffic. It costs an arm and a leg to be inside the building. Considering what the scoreboard showed, they wouldn't throw away being part of basketball history to get home a little earlier.
The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 124-94 Game 5 win. That sealed the series result as the first seed clinched their spot in the NBA Finals with a five-game Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder set the tone early. Any faint hopes for Minnesota were quickly erased. By the time the first quarter ended, the Timberwolves looked disinterested and shocked at the same time. Early turnovers led to transition buckets for OKC. They held an eye-popping 26-9 lead after the frame.
That momentum continued in the second quarter. They scored 39 points in the frame to balloon their halftime lead to 65-32. Yep. You read that right. Sixty-five to thirty-two. There was no messing around by the title favorite. It was all over for the Timberwolves. They might have as well stayed in Minnesota and saved everybody time.
The Thunder's star trio once again showed out. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quick 20 points while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren each scored 15 points. Everything went their way while the Timberwolves looked mentally checked out.
The second half turned into an impromptu party. Any pregame nerves were squashed. The OKC crowd cheered and danced along. They spent more time on their phones Googling what time the nearest Dick's Sporting Goods closed than they did biting their nails with a Timberwolves comeback.
Minnesota prettied up the scoreboard with a 30-point frame. But the Thunder kept a firm distance with an 88-62 lead. Lu Dort's catch-and-shoot 3-pointer was finally enough for the Timberwolves to wave the white flag on their season and cleared the bench with a little over six minutes left. OKC soon followed as Daigneault greeted each starter on its way to the bench.
The Thunder shot 52% from the field and went 14-of-35 (40%) from 3. They shot 18-of-21 on free throws. They had 26 assists on 46 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 34 points. Holmgren had 22 points and seven rebounds. Williams finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Dort had 12 points and Isaiah Joe had 11 points.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves shot 41% from the field and went 12-of-34 (35.3%) from 3. They shot 12-of-15 on free throws. They had 16 assists on 35 baskets. Four Timberwolves players scored double-digit points.
Anthony Edwards was quiet with 19 points and six rebounds. Julius Randle led Minnesota with 24 points and five rebounds. Naz Reid and Terrence Shannon Jr. each had 11 points.
And now, what's been at the back of everybody's minds for the entire season has become official. The Thunder are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Hearing all year about how other West teams didn't fear them because of youth and inexperience, they were a buzzsaw with a 12-4 playoff record and led by as many as 39 points in the game-sealer to punch their ticket.
Now, the Thunder wait for their NBA Finals opponent. Whether the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, expect OKC to enter as the heavy favorite. It took most folks to start believing in them only once they saw it with their own eyes, but their Western Conference destruction has made them into the Death Star everybody fears.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Swishing in every elbow mid-range jumper in pregame warmups, Gilgeous-Alexander entered with a killer mentality. He could've cushioned up on a 3-1 series lead with three tries to get a win, but the MVP winner wanted to kill off the Timberwolves right then and there in front of OKC's home crowd.
Easy to say, mission accomplished. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 34 points on 14-of-25 shooting, eight assists and seven rebounds. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.
As Gilgeous-Alexander dissected Minnesota's defense like a frog in high school class, everybody slowly realized he figured out basketball. That simple. He was surgical on his mid-range jumpers and finished at the rim on his drives against several Timberwolves defenders.
It was a fast start for Gilgeous-Alexander with 12 points in the first quarter. He had 20 at halftime. He left absolutely zero doubt on the result at the halfway mark as the Thunder held a 30-point advantage. He continued to be an unstoppable machine in the second half before finally showing Minnesota mercy.
Headlining one of the greatest seasons ever, Gilgeous-Alexander has translated his MVP year into the playoffs. To put up 34 points in 34 minutes without breaking a sweat is the type of stuff basketball pantheons like Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry have done. Now you can pencil in another name on there.
Jalen Williams: A-plus
Sitting down with warm lights shining underneath him and in front of a televised group of thousands, Williams still couldn't process the last hour. The 24-year-old has answered any doubts about his validity to be the second-best player on a title contender with straight A-pluses. He'll likely need a few days to understand that fully.
Williams finished with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds and five assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.
Playing a similar style, Williams sliced through Minnesota's defense. He bulldozed his way to the rim for drives despite several defenders in his way. In transition, he was a beast. Every steal-to-score sequence featured the ball being in his hands at least once.
Williams has been superb throughout the entire playoffs, minus a few hiccups. The rhythm scorer has gotten in a groove early with his jumper and has utilized his thick frame to bully his way through defenses for easy looks at the basket or go to the free-throw line.
Chet Holmgren: A-plus
Like angering The Hulk, Holmgren's basketball superpowers have grown the deeper the Thunder have gone in the playoffs. A three-month layoff from a hip fracture was quite the traffic jam the 23-year-old was stuck in for his season, but he's finally back to the open road and flirting with 80 MPH.
The Thunder Big 3 headlined another playoff win. Holmgren finished with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds and three blocks. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-6 on free throws. He also had three blocks.
When the Thunder drafted Holmgren, this was likely what they envisioned as his peak. A swat-shot machine that altered how often the opposition attacked the paint. Whether Edwards or Randle, Minnesota's best players second-guessed themselves to the point they couldn't generate good looks.
On the other end, Holmgren was busy underneath the rim. The seven-footer is the perfect play finisher and frequently cleans up his teammates' misses for easy second-chance buckets. When the jumper gets going like it did tonight, watch out. Things can get scary.
Lu Dort: B
Swishing in a corner 3-pointer, Dort's bucket was enough for Chris Finch. The Timberwolves gave up and cleared their bench. They hoped to force a sixth game but came in with the energy of a squad that had its season funeral.
Dort finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, four rebounds and one assist. He shot 4-of-10 from 3. He also had three steals.
While the outside shot was shaky, Daigneault's confidence in Dort never wavered. He stuck with the guy he grew up with in the OKC organization. Both had blue-collar beginnings and worked their butts off to reach this point. The decision paid off.
Picking him up near full-court and fighting over screens, Dort was super-glued to Edwards. Minnesota's superstar showed his youthfulness with another quiet game. Credit that to the All-Defensive Team member as he shut off the Timberwolves' best player for most of the series.
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