Oklahoma City stormed into its first NBA Finals since 2012, riding a 34-point masterclass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a dominant 124-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
The newly crowned NBA MVP added eight assists and seven rebounds, sealing a 4-1 win in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder will host Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 5.
“This is a step in the right direction, but we’ve got a lot more work to do,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We know that – and that’s where our focus is. So let’s buckle up.”
The 26-year-old Canadian, named series MVP, could become the first NBA scoring champion to win a title in the same season since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
Awaiting Oklahoma City in the Finals is the Eastern Conference champion – either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points and Jalen Williams scored 19 for the Thunder, whose average age of 25.6 years makes them the youngest team to reach 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 – so we’re not done.”
Williams said he was proud of the way the players have come together.
“We’ve been through ups and downs this entire season, and that has only brought us closer,” he said. “We’ve been able to bond and get better, and that’s why we’re here now.
“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 has never won an NBA title, though the franchise claimed a championship as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 before relocating in 2008. The Thunder last reached the Finals in 2012, losing to Miami.
Oklahoma City 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.”
From the start, Oklahoma City overpowered Minnesota in epic fashion, as the visitors delivered 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,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “This hurts.”
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Thunder jumped to a 26-9 lead, holding the Timberwolves to their lowest point total in any quarter this season.
“They came out and punched us,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley said.
The Timberwolves shot 3-for-20 in the first quarter – including 1-for-9 from 3-point range – and committed four turnovers.
Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots as Oklahoma City jumped ahead 11-3, then closed the quarter on a 13-2 run.
The Thunder surged to a 48-20 advantage early in the second quarter and held a 65-32 halftime lead. Minnesota committed a season-high 14 turnovers in the first half while making only 12 baskets.
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 37 points before cutting the deficit to 88-62 after three quarters, but never seriously threatened the Thunder’s dominance.
“It hurts,” Conley said. “For me, it’s going to take a while to dissect what we weren’t able to do.”
