THE Oklahoma City Thunder are heading to the NBA Finals after a dominant 124-94 Game 5 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday (May 29, 2025, PH time), securing a 4-1 series win in the Western Conference Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander achieved his short-term goals on and positioned himself to achieve his long-term one.
He had 34 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds to help the Thunder beat the Timberwolves 124-94 clinched a spot in the NBA Finals.
“I know I wanted two things,” he said. “I didn’t want to go back to Minnesota. And then I wanted the fans to be able to enjoy the moment with us. I wanted them to be able to see it unfold in front of their eyes. I wanted them to celebrate tonight in our building, go home, get drunk, do whatever they do to have fun with the moment.”
The league MVP and scoring champion did his part to make those things possible, and now he’s got a shot at an NBA title. It was another example of how playoff basketball appears to have slowed down for him.
He forced things at times in the first round against Memphis and in the second round against Denver. Against Minnesota, he was back to making the game look easy. He made 14 of 25 shots and committed just two turnovers in Game 5.
“I think he does a great job of playing aggressive and then letting the game tell him what the right play is,” Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. “Sometimes that’s score, sometimes that’s to pass. But you never really feel like watching him or playing with him — you never feel like he made the wrong read.”
Gilgeous-Alexander had 12 points and five assists in the first quarter as Oklahoma City took a commanding 26-9 lead. The Thunder extended their dominance, leading 65-32 at halftime and 88-62 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s significant impact went beyond just statistics. Coach Mark Daigneault highlighted his leadership in setting the tone for the Thunder’s strong start.
“He just set an unbelievable tone,” Daigneault said. “I think he understood his role in our mentality. He was a participant in that and he was a leader in that. And he was ready to play from the jump.”
For the series, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged an impressive 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game and was awarded the Magic Johnson Trophy as the MVP of the Western Conference Finals.
Now, the Thunder await their opponent in the NBA Finals, which will be either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks, with the series starting on June 5.
The Pacers currently lead the Eastern Conference finals 3-1, with Game 5 scheduled for Thursday night (Friday in PH) in New York City. / From the wires