Thunder overwhelm Timberwolves to reach NBA Finals
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, added eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series 4-1 and will host game one of the NBA Finals on June 5.
"This is a step in the right direction but we have a lot more work to do and we know that and that's what we're focused on so let's buckle up and get ready," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
"We've got a lot of work to do to get to our ultimate goal and this is not it. That's all that I'm focused on."
Oklahoma City will face the Eastern Conference champion, either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, for the NBA title.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a 26-year-old Canadian who was named the series MVP, could become the first NBA scoring champion since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to win an NBA title in the same season.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points and Jalen Williams netted 19 for the Thunder, whose average age of 25.6 years makes them the youngest team in the NBA Finals since Portland in 1977.
"We have 17 dudes on the roster who will bring it every single game whether it's a closeout game or not," Holmgren said.
"It's a step in the journey. We still have a season to play (in the Finals) so we're not done."
Williams was proud of the way players have melded into a team.
"We've been through ups and downs this entire season and that has only brought us closer. We've been able to bond and get better and that's why we're here now," he said.
"We've still got a job to do but it's very exciting."
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 24 points while Anthony Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves, who have never reached the NBA Finals.
"They came ready to play. We didn't," Edwards said. "They dominated the game from the tip."
Oklahoma City have never won an NBA title, although the franchise won a crown as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 before relocating in 2008, and the Thunder last reached the finals in 2012, losing to Miami.
The Thunder had the best record in the NBA this season at 68-14.
"These guys are uncommon," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They do everything right. They are professional. They are high character... They are competitive and most of all they are team first."
'This hurts'
From the start Oklahoma City overpowered Minnesota in epic fashion, as the visitors suffered a nightmare performance when it mattered most.
"We kept our foot on the gas for 48 minutes," Daigneault said. "The tone we set in the game was really good from the jump."
"We were beat by the better team," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. "This hurts."
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Thunder grabbed a 26-9 lead, holding the Timberwolves to their lowest points total in any quarter all season.
"They came out and punched us," Minnesota's Mike Conley said.
Minnesota shot 3-for-20 in the first quarter, 1-of-9 from three-point range, and lost four turnovers.
Minnesota missed 10 of their first 11 shots as Oklahoma City jumped ahead 11-3 then closed the quarter on a 13-2 run.
The Thunder rolled to a 48-20 advantage early in the second quarter on the way to a 65-32 half-time lead as Minnesota surrendered a season-high 14 first-half turnovers while making only 12 baskets.
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 37 points before reducing the deficit to 88-62 after three quarters, but never looked like overcoming the Thunder's dominant performance.
"It hurts," Conley said. "For me it's going to take a while to dissect what we weren't able to do."
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Whitecaps look to make history in CONCACAF final
But if the team, which is enjoying an outstanding season under Danish coach Jesper Sorensen, is to make history they will have to defy the odds yet again. The two teams will clash at Cruz Azul's home venue, the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City but it is not only home advantage that favours 'La Maquina'. Cruz Azul have a rich pedigree and can equal Mexican rivals Club America's record of seven CONCACAF titles with a victory on Sunday. They are part of an elite group of Mexican clubs who have dominated the tournament -- in both the Champions Cup and Champions League formats -- with 39 titles. Costa Rican clubs have six titles while MLS clubs from the USA have just three. The Whitecaps are just the third Canadian team to reach the final, following Toronto in 2018 and Montreal in 2015 and are now hoping to go one better. But they have earned their place after an impressive run in the competition which saw them beat Costa Rica's top club Saprissa, upset Mexico's Monterrey and Pumas and then outclassed Lionel Messi's Inter Miami to earn a 5-1 aggregate win. Victory would be the first major trophy for the Whitecaps since they entered Major League Soccer in 2011 although the original Whitecaps won the old North American Soccer League in 1979. The club has gradually built a formidable squad however which Sorensen has been able to capitalise on this season. Step by Step "We had to build this step by step," Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director, Axel Schuster, told website onesoccer. "It takes time to build, because in MLS, you cannot change things quickly because of the roster rules that you have," he added. "Building in MLS takes a little bit longer, but we are feeling good about where we are right now, and I can tell you already, we are already thinking about the next step," he added. Striker Brian White is enjoying an excellent campaign and was called into the USA national team by coach Mauricio Pochettino having scored 15 goals in 21 games this season. But while MLS presents its challenges, it is rare for a team to face the kind of raucous atmosphere that Vancouver can expect to be up against in Mexico City. Canadian international defender Sam Adekugbe is confident the team can cope, however. "Mexico is a very difficult place to play, I've experienced that with the national team, but it'll be an intense game with a lot of quality, and obviously, the altitude is a big factor, as well, but all we can do is just focus on what got us there and take control of that," he said. That task is made harder by the absence of influential midfielder Sebastian Berhalter who is suspended after picking up a yellow card against Miami, although the exciting Ecuadorian international Pedro Vite provides quality in midfield. Cruz Azul will be putting their faith in striker Angel Sepulveda who is the tournament's top scorer with seven goals and is ably supported by Poland's Mateusz Bogusz, who joined from Los Angeles FC in January. "We're up against very experienced players with a lot of quality, they're the best team we've faced so far, there's a reason why they're in the final," said Sorensen.
France 24
11 hours ago
- France 24
'On song' Zheng dances into French Open last 16
The Chinese star qualified for the French Open last 16 for the second time with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Canadian teenager Mboko, who was appearing at her first Grand Slam. Zheng, 22, has now won nine successive matches at Roland Garros after her Olympic triumph on the same courts last August. "I had a great performance today," said Zheng, who goes on to face Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova for a spot in the quarter-finals. Zheng's only other appearance in the fourth round of the French Open came on her 2022 debut, when she led eventual champion Iga Swiatek by a set before severe stomach cramps ruined her hopes of a shock win. "It seems like yesterday for me," recalled Zheng. "I remember I was feeling really good in that Roland Garros but I lost the match because I got girl problems and couldn't perform at 100 percent." Zheng dumped out 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the opening round and has not missed a beat so far in Paris, where she is yet to drop a set. "I have a lot of interests off the tennis court, maybe too much! I love to sing a a song, I love to dance and I love to go shopping," said Zheng. "I know a lot of different songs." But last year's Australian Open runner-up admits she sticks to a basic routine when competing. "If you talk about in the tournament, I don't have too much interest to come to do my nails, to do my hair, because I'm so into the tournament mood," said Zheng. "I just want to make sure today the practice was going well. I eat healthy my food, get a good rest, and tomorrow I fight again. That's what I care (about) during the tournament." Zheng adjusted well to the much warmer conditions on Friday, as temperatures neared 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), following scattered showers earlier in the tournament. "I'm from Wuhan so I handle the hot weather quite well. I actually like these conditions," said Zheng, pointing out it was even hotter during the Paris Olympics. However, a supporter fell ill and required medical attention, prompting a stoppage in play late in the first set. Zheng though said she was reassured about the fan's wellbeing when she enquired after the match.
France 24
17 hours ago
- France 24
Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid can both win after 'difficult' move
The record 15-time Champions League winners are the world's most successful club and joining them as a player is widely viewed as reaching the pinnacle of the game. In 2003, Madrid signed David Beckham from Manchester United -- a player Alexander-Arnold has sometimes been likened to for his passing range and crossing ability. "It's not the case that other teams are bad, it's just that Real Madrid are the greatest," England international Jude Bellingham said after he joined from Dortmund in 2023. The presence of Bellingham, a compatriot and close friend, certainly increased Madrid's appeal for Alexander-Arnold whose highly-anticipated arrival was formally announced on Friday. The Liverpool academy graduate won it all at Anfield but his chances of winning silverware more regularly are boosted with Los Blancos, so he took the risk of leaving his boyhood club. From Madrid's perspective, securing Alexander-Arnold's services on a six-year deal also seemed an obvious step to take. With Dani Carvajal, 33, injured for much of the season, right-back has been a problem position. Fede Valverde and the departing Lucas Vazquez have played there even though it is not their natural role. Carvajal will be back next season but after his serious knee injury and given his age, whether he will return at the same level is uncertain. Alexander-Arnold, 26, is expected to form part of Madrid's squad for years to come. The defender's arrival fits Madrid's recent approach of using their super-club status to hire 'Galactico' level stars at the end of their contracts. French striker Kylian Mbappe's arrival from Paris Saint-Germain last summer is the prime example, while Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba also joined without a transfer fee. Alexander-Arnold has the attacking range to delight Madrid's demanding fans, who love full-backs with a penchant for the spectacular, including Marcelo and Roberto Carlos. The Liverpudlian, a set-piece expert, has also been used in midfield by England which is an area where Madrid have struggled since Toni Kroos' departure last summer. Sweetening the pot is Alexander-Arnold's association with Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-finals. The defender created his team's vital fourth goal after a 3-0 away defeat, with a corner taken quickly to catch out Barca's defence and tee up Divock Origi to score. "When I got to those big occasions, I felt like that's where I belonged," Alexander-Arnold told FourFourTwo. "Those sorts of games naturally demand you to play the best that you can and think on the spot, and have those moments of brilliance –- I was able to come up with one." Defensive doubts British players have not always found it easy to adapt to life in the Spanish capital. Welshman Gareth Bale was hugely successful at Madrid and yet still ended up as a scapegoat, while England internationals Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate never completely found their footing. Bellingham hit the ground running however, leading Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double in his first campaign, and can help Alexander-Arnold fit in. The biggest concerns around Alexander-Arnold's arrival relate to his defensive aptitude. At times for Liverpool and England he has been criticised for switching off, allowing wingers to drift behind him unchecked. Madrid's defensive line has suffered this season as they ended up without a major trophy. If new coach Xabi Alonso sticks to the 3-4-3 system he used at Bayer Leverkusen, Alexander-Arnold could thrive in the right wing-back role. "Because he is so special with the ball, the main emphasis goes on him doing special things with the ball," explained Liverpool coach Arne Slot in September. "I think with him it is not about if he is capable of doing things, it's more -- can his concentration rate constantly be at 100 percent focus?" It would not be the first time Madrid have signed a player fuelled by optimism over their potential, rather than a more measured approach to squad-building. In Alexander-Arnold's case, though, there is plenty to suggest this union will suit both club and player.
