Game 1: Western Conference Finals - Recap

The first night of the conference finals was kicked off by the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder at home against the #6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. To nobody’s surprise, the Thunder took Game 1 and are up 1-0. Although, the Timberwolves got off to a decent start, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Thunder have consistently started games sluggish for the last several games, and the Wolves were able to take advantage of that early. Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets going and catches fire (and hits the free throw line).

Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have been one of the best duos in the 2025 NBA playoffs, but it wasn’t enough to hold off SGA and the top-rated defense of the league. With Chet Holmgren tallying 2 blocks on the night and Jalen Williams adding 5 steals to the box score, it became impossible for the Timberwolves to stay afloat. In the second half, it seemed as if Minnesota forgot how to put the ball in the hoop. They ended up with a FG% of 34.9% and were sub 30% from the perimeter, while OKC ended over 50% in both measures and took the game home by almost a 30pt margin. Needless to say, it was a rough night for Ant and the Wolves.

I know that one of the most popular topics right now is the idea that SGA may be a foul merchant and could be getting a special whistle. As of Tuesday, May 21st, SGA became the NBA 2025 MVP. So, maybe that “special whistle” is a deserving whistle? The league (especially the refs) seems to think so, and I do too. The fact of the matter is that the Thunder shot a total of 26 free throws, while the Timberwolves shot 21. The arm-chair analysts can break down the individual specifics if they desire to do so, but it seems like a similar whistle per team to me.

To recap Game 1 in a nutshell, the Oklahoma City Thunder did what they do best and dog-walked their opponent at home. Paycom Center seems to be one of the loudest stadiums to play in right now, and the fans showed out the way that they know how. Lucky for them, they have another game at Paycom to hopefully go up 2-0 before the Timberwolves get to take it back home to Minnesota. Ant, who most think could potentially be the next face of the NBA, will need to step up big time for Game 2 if they want to keep this a competitive series. We shall see how Wednesday unfolds! Stay tuned.