Anthony Edwards brought his aggressiveness to Game 2, unlike Game 1. Minnesota’s reserves delivered an improved performance compared to the first game of theNBA’s Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City.
Yet, the result was the same, a Thunder victory.
Oklahoma City took Game 2 118-103 and grabbed control of the series, now holding a 2-0 lead. The series shifts to Minnesota for the next two games as the Timberwolves search for answers to the problems the Thunder present.
Game 3 is Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
The Thunder are in good position to reach the Finals for the first time since 2012. Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series go on to win the series 92.2% of the time.
Fresh off earning his first NBA MVP on Wednesday, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 38 points, his franchise-record fifth consecutive playoff game with 30 or more points. It was an efficient 12-for-21 from the field and 13-for-15 on free throws for Gilgeous-Alexander, who also had eight assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Chet Holmgren contributed 22 points, and All-Star Jalen Williams had 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City’s top-ranked defense once again pressured Minnesota into a low-scoring, poor-shooting performance.
Edwards scored 32 points on 26 shot attempts – double the amount of field goal attempts from Game 1 – but he was also 1-for-9 on 3-pointers, and Julius Randle’s run of strong playoff scoring performances ended with a six-point game on 2-for-11 shooting. Randle sat the entire fourth quarter. The Timberwolves shot 41.4% from the field and 28.2% on 3s – and 14 turnovers led to 22 OKC points.
Game 2 Timberwolves vs. Thunder highlights
Final: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103
STATS: Check out full stats from the game here.
3Q: Thunder 93, Timberwolves 71
The Thunder began to pull away from the Timberwolves after outscoring them in the third quarter, leading by as many as 24 points.
Minnesota has not held a lead larger than two points through the first three quarters.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and six assists through three quarters. Chet Holmgren had 18 points.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 24 points and eight rebounds. Jaden McDaniels added 15 points.
Anthony Edwards tops Timberwolves’ all-time playoff scoring list
Anthony Edwards’ floater off the glass with 6:47 left in the third quarter made him the Timberwolves’ all-time leading playoff scorer – ahead of Kevin Garnett – with 1,051 career postseason points in his 39th playoff game.
Garnett has 1,049 points in 47 games followed by Karl-Anthony Towns (603 points in 32 games); Wally Szczerbiak (369 points in 29 games); and Latrell Sprewell (357 points in 18 games).
Halftime: Thunder 58, Timberwolves 50
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points for the Thunder in the first half after shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. He also added four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
The Thunder and Timberwolves were tied at 45 with 4:34 left in the second quarter before OKC began to pull away with six unanswered points.
Jalen Williams added 10 points and five defensive rebounds in the first half for OKC.
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He went 7-of-18 from the field and 1-for-7 from the 3-point line.
1Q: Thunder 29, Timberwolves 25
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored eight points for the Thunder in the first quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander went 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Anthony Edwards had eight points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves.
NBA official Scott Foster suffers bloody nose
Lu Dort gave referee Scott Foster a bloody nose – accidentally.
During a jump ball between Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort and Minnesota’s Julius Randle, Dort’s hand hit Foster’s face as Dort tried to control the jump with 10:23 left in the first quarter. The blood rule dictated a stoppage, and training staff helped Foster control the bleeding with a towel.
A couple of minutes later, the game resumed with Foster on the court with fellow refs Tony Brothers and Pat Fraher. There is an alternate ref (JB DeRosa) on-site if needed.
Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receives MVP award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was presented the 2024-25 Most Valuable Player award before Game 2 by NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Minnesota Timberwolves starting lineup for Game 2
Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert will start Game 2 for the Timberwolves tonight.
Oklahoma City Thunder starting lineup for Game 2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein make up the Thunder’s starting lineup for Game 2 against the Timberwolves.
Look for Anthony Edwards to be more aggressive in Game 2
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards had a bland 18 points on 13 shot attempts in OKC’s Game 1 victory. The Thunder’s top-ranked defense was part of that, but Edwards is capable of working through that and finding more points. Minnesota needs more from him in the series.
“He’s prepared to be super aggressive every single night,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “I thought he did a good job the other day of finding his teammates. We’ve got to knock down some of those shots. But there are opportunities for him to be more aggressive for himself. That’s how he’s wired anyway, so it usually never takes much to recalibrate.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP
“It was a nice moment of reflection for a lot of people,’ Daigneault said. ‘Just sitting there watching him, I’m like, ‘Man, I remember when he was (a) scrawny kid on his first contract in the bubble. Now this guy’s a man, a father, a husband, a leader. He also showed a side of himself that we see every day. He let everybody in on that in a very proud moment for him. So I couldn’t (be) happier for him.”
What time is Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder?
Game 2 of the NBA’s Western Conference final series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder gets underway at 8:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: TV, stream
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Paycom Center; Oklahoma City
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the NBA MVP award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got off to a great start. He kept playing like an MVP, and Oklahoma City kept winning.
The Thunder finished 68-14 and earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and Gilgeous-Alexander is one of three finalists for MVP after averaging a league-best and career-high 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks and shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.5% on 3-pointers and 89.8% on free throws. No guard attempted more free throws per game (8.8) and he led the league in free throws made per game (7.9).
An All-Star and first-team All-NBA guard who is the best player on the best team deserves the MVP.
That’s Gilgeous-Alexander. Read why Jeff Zillgitt thinks SGA deserved the award here.
Timberwolves vs. Thunder predictions: Expert picks
USA TODAY Sports experts made predictions ahead of the series:
Timberwolves vs. Thunder series winner
Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in seven
Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six
Heather Tucker: Thunder in six
James H. Williams: Thunder in six
Jordan Mendoza: Timberwolves in six
Scooby Axson: Thunder in six
Cydney Henderson: Thunder in seven
Timberwolves vs. Thunder schedule
Thunder lead series 2-0
Game 1, May 20: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Game 2, May 22: Thunder 118, Timberwolves 103
Game 3, May 24: Thunder at Timberwolves | ABC, 8:30 p.m.
Game 4, May 26: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, May 28: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, May 30: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 1: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, 8 p.m.*
(All times Eastern; *-if necessary)