Latest news with #OklahomaCityThunder
Epoch Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Epoch Times
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Still Hasn't Achieved His Main Goal for the Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander achieved his short-term goals on Wednesday night and positioned himself to achieve his long-term one. He had 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124–94 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals for a 4–1 series win and a spot in the NBA Finals.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Tim Legler has an advice for Anthony Edwards: 'He needs to have a Michael Jordan-like approach, a Kobe Bryant-like approach'
Image credit: Getty Images Former NBA player and sports analyst Tim Legler has shared some improvements the Minnesota Timberwolves need to make in their playing style next season. The Timberwolves were eliminated from the Western Conference Finals after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-94 in Game 5. This marked their second consecutive elimination from the NBA Finals, having suffered the same fate last year. Tim Legler shares a few tips for Minnesota Timberwolves Talking about what improvements the Minnesota Timberwolves need, sports analyst Tim Legler said on The Dan Patrick Show, 'They need to address their lead guard position. I love Mike Conley; he's been one of my favorite players in the NBA his entire career, just a huge fan of his. He's a leader; he's tough; he's great in Memphis, but he's at the stage of his career he's not going to generate any additional offense for people. I think some of that has to be taken off the plate of Anthony Edwards .' Stressing what shooting guard Edwards needs to change in his playing style, Legler added, 'I think Anthony Edwards needs to understand that there can't be moments of games where he feels his way out; he feels the game. That's not what he needs to do; he needs to come out and have a Jordan-like approach, a Kobe-like approach. I think he's got the athletic ability, the explosiveness, the all-around scoring game to do it.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo Praising Edwards after the team's loss, head coach Chris Finch said, "I think he's in a really good place in his developmental arc. I think, 23 years old, he's got two Western Conference finals under his belt He's been able to navigate a lot of different looks and defenses. He's got a pretty good amount of winning, a lot of winning actually underneath his belt, too. This was a big year for him, and it was kind of his team, quote unquote. I thought he did a good job with his leadership.' Also Read: Kendrick Perkins apologizes to Anthony Edwards in a written apology note: 'I was not taking a personal shot at you' Edwards scored 19 points, adding six rebounds, two assists, and a block while shooting 7-of-18 from the field and just 1-of-7 from three-point range. This obviously wasn't enough to bring the Oklahoma City Thunder down, which is already riding high on enthusiasm thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his MVP win.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NBA playoffs odds, lines, betting: Oklahoma City Thunder one win away from NBA Finals
The 2025 NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the conference finals are underway. The Oklahoma City Thunder (-375) are now the prohibitive title favorites at BetMGM, followed by the Indiana Pacers (+550), New York Knicks (10-1) and Minnesota Timberwolves (40-1). The Thunder responded to a Game 3 blowout by making several big shots down the stretch in a 128-126 Game 4 win over the Wolves to take a 3-1 series lead. In the East, the Knicks entered as -155 series favorites, which is only the second time in the past 50 years that the franchise has been favored in a conference finals series. The Pacers, however, won both games at Madison Square Garden to take a 2-0 series lead, before the Knicks held on to win Game 3. Whereas public betting may waver at times during the NBA season because of all the injuries and load management, the playoffs are a big betting event, Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at the Borgata in Atlantic City — a BetMGM book — told Yahoo Sports. "From a betting perspective, the handle is very good," Gable said. "The NBA suffers from the way that they handle the day-to-day season with players resting, and I think a lot of the recreational players have phased out of the NBA because of that. But the playoffs are a totally different story." Here are the updated series prices for the 2025 NBA playoffs from BetMGM: No. 4 Indiana Pacers (-210) vs. No. 3 New York Knicks (+170) Indiana up 2-1 No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (+1800) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (-5000) Oklahoma City up 3-1 Eastern Conference No. 4 Indiana Pacers (-325) vs. No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (+260) Indiana wins 4-1 No. 3 New York Knicks (-275) vs. No. 2 Boston Celtics (+225) New York up 3-2 Western Conference No. 4 Denver Nuggets (+240) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (-325) Oklahoma City wins 4-3 No. 7 Golden State Warriors (+1600) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (-5000) Minnesota wins 4-1 Eastern Conference No. 8 Miami Heat (12-1) vs. No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (-2500) Cleveland wins 4-0 No. 7 Orlando Magic (16-1) vs. No. 2 Boston Celtics (-5000) Boston wins 4-1 No. 6 Detroit Pistons (+325) vs. No. 3 New York Knicks (-425) New York wins 4-2 No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks (+165) vs. No. 4 Indiana Pacers (-200) Indiana wins 4-1 Western Conference No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies (10-1) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (-2000) Oklahoma City wins 4-0 No. 7 Golden State Warriors (-165) vs. No. 2 Houston Rockets (+140) Golden State wins 4-3 No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (+165) vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers (-200) Minnesota wins 4-1 No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers (-115) vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets (-105) Denver wins 4-3
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Former All-Star Says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Might Be Saving the NBA
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Oklahoma City Thunder are heading to the 2025 NBA Finals. It will be their first appearance since 2012, and in large part, it is thanks to their superstar guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. More NBA news: Lakers Could Be in Position to Land Perfect Luka Doncic Co-Star Gilgeous-Alexander has proven that he is not only an elite player but also one of the top players in the league. He has consistently demonstrated this to be the case all season long, winning the 2024-25 NBA MVP award and leading his team to the NBA Finals, where he also won the Western Conference Finals MVP. The 26-year-old has done his part to be the difference maker in the league, but former All-Star guard Jeff Teague is taking it to the next level regarding Gilgeous-Alexander. On a recent episode of his podcast "Club 520," Teague didn't hold back when discussing the league's MVP. Teague praised Gilgeous-Alexander, saying the Thunder star "saved the NBA" by excelling in the mid-range and ultimately capturing the MVP honor. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates with teammates after winning the Western Conference Finals MVP after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025... Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates with teammates after winning the Western Conference Finals MVP after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. More Photo by"I wanna say something about SGA, though," Teague said. "I think SGA saved the NBA. I guess is what I'm saying. I'm not saying 'cause of how he performed, but the way he play, he saved the NBA 'cause the NBA is a copycat league and he perfected the mid-range game. "So he brought back the ability to be able to shoot mid-range shots because the game was either a three or a layup. I got crucified in Minnesota for wanting to shoot a mid-range shot if it wasn't a three or a layup for analytics. And him being the MVP and his go-to shot is a mid-range shot, he literally just saved the NBA." More NBA news: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Shoe Brand Takes Massive Shot at Anthony Edwards Gilgeous-Alexander has undeniably elevated his team to new heights. Despite facing his share of criticism, his talent and overall impact speak volumes. The 2024-25 campaign was one to remember for the 26-year-old guard. He helped guide his team to a league-best 68 wins while putting up historic numbers. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring with 32.7 points per game, recorded 20 or more points in 72 straight contests, and topped the league in 20-point games (75), 30-point games (49), 40-point outings (13), and 50-point performances (4). It was a season that firmly cemented his superstar status. During the season, Gilgeous-Alexander put up remarkable numbers, averaging 32.7 points on efficient shooting from the field at 51.9 percent. He also contributed 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. As far as the playoffs go, he is averaging 29.8 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 16 games and 36.5 minutes of action. If Gilgeous-Alexander can lead his team to four more wins, more people may start thinking like Teague. More NBA news: Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards Makes Bold Declaration Following Brutal Game 5 Warriors Guard Undergoes Unexpected Offseason Surgery For more on the Thunder and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former NBA Players Crown Shai Gilgeous-Alexander As The Greatest Thunder Player Ever: Major Disrespect To Kevin Durant And Russell Westbrook
After their convincing victory in the opening games of their latest series (against the Minnesota Timberwolves), the Oklahoma City Thunder are now just two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012. As the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves a lot of credit for his Thunder run, and some have already started calling him the greatest player in Thunder franchise history. "He's the greatest Thunder of all time," said Kendrick Perkins on NBA Today. "He already joined the company of Michael Jordan this year with three consecutive seasons shooting over 50%. He hoisted up the MVP trophy and now he's on his way to going to the NBA Finals and he's going to win the NBA championship and he's going to become Finals MVP. We're watching a young man right now who is the best perimeter player in the game of basketball. He's unguardable." Advertisement Perkins was part of the Thunder team that made the Finals in 2012 and he saw the greatness of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for himself. Yet, somehow, he's already seen enough to crown SGA as the "greatest Thunder ever." Surprisingly, he's not the only former player to make that argument. "It's hard not to think this dude is the greatest Thunder of all time," said Chandler Parsons on Fan Duel TV. "As good as Russ was with the MVP and triple-doubles, and Kevin Durant, and James Harden, this guy's a different level when you win a championship, especially in this city, in this market." It's easy to appreciate what Shai is doing right now and he certainly deserves a lot of praise for his performance this season with averages of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 51.9% shooting. But with just seven years of experience in the league, and six with the Thunder, it's borderline disrespectful to rank him over other franchise legends. Right now, Kevin Durant still has a stronger argument for being the best Thunder ever. In nine seasons with the franchise, he averaged 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 48.3% shooting. He was an All-Star seven times and won the MVP in 2014 while averaging 32.0 points per game. Advertisement Of course, many Thunder fans would argue that Russell Westbrook has the best case as the franchise's greatest athlete. He leads the team in points with 18,859 over 11 years with the team. As a 9x All-Star, MVP, and 2x scoring champ, Westbrook was the face of the Thunder for many years and he was beloved by the fans during his best years there. As good as Shai is, his resume doesn't yet hold up against legends like Durant and Westbrook, who are considered among the top 75 greatest players ever. Fortunately for Shai, he has a chance to strengthen his case if he wins the championship this year. After winning his first MVP, SGA has the Thunder in position to make a serious championship run, and it'd be the first in the franchise's storied history. For that feat alone, Shai would qualify as the greatest player in franchise history,y but the job is not done yet. Heading to Minnesota, the Thunder will face their biggest test yet in Game 3 as they look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Even if they advance to the Finals, there's no guarantee they'd beat whoever comes out of the East between the Pacers and Knicks. At the very least, Shai will give them a chance to win and his legacy will take a major leap if he manages to become an NBA champion at 26 years old. Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Kevin Durant: Who Had The Better MVP Season? (Full Comparison)
