It was a tale of two halves tonight in Oklahoma City. The Thunder and their MVP struggled immensely on offense in the first half as the Minnesota Timberwolves led by four. Then, OKC locked in for the second half, outscoring the Wolves 70-40 and running away with the game in the fourth quarter. It all added up to a 114-88 victory for the presumed title favorites, putting them three wins from their first Finals trip in thirteen years.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($12,000, 55.75 FPTS) stormed back in his usual fashion after a rough first half, shooting just 2-of-13. He ended with 31 points, five rebounds, and nine assists as the Wolves ran out of answers for guarding him. Jalen Williams ($9,400, 47 FPTS) also had his hands all over this one. The young All-Star recorded 19 points to go with eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Chet Holmgren ($8,600, 34.25 FPTS) had a slow start but made his mark in the beginning of the fourth with two big buckets and two blocks in the span of four possessions.
Anthony Edwards ($11,600, 35.25 FPTS) was forced to exit the game with an ankle injury in the first half for the defeated Timberwolves. Though he returned within five minutes of game time, he scored just 18 points with three assists to four turnovers. While Julius Randle ($10,000, 41.5 FPTS) lit up the scoring column with 28 points, he recorded just one assist to five turnovers as the Wolves’ offense crumbled. The Wolves’ role players couldn’t get much going against an airtight Thunder defense.
Game 2 will be played in Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 22nd at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Oklahoma City opens as a -8 favorite on the DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 213.5.
