Was it the rest? Minnesota did not play in over five days since concluding their series with the Golden State Warriors. Was it the fact that the Oklahoma City Thunder had momentum after just dispatching of the Denver Nuggets a few days earlier? Was it because the Thunder had the soon-to-be-announced MVP of the league? Maybe it was a combination of all of the above, but it was abundantly clear on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals that the Thunder were the far superior team on that night.
OKC shot 50% from the field while holding Minnesota to 34.9%. Despite losing the three-point hucking contest, 51 to 21, the Thunder made four fewer treys. OKC converted six more free throws, grabbed four more boards, dished out nine more dimes and racked up eight more steals. They had 34 more points in the paint than Minnesota. All of that led to a 114-88 victory and a 1-0 series lead.
‘Twas just one game, though, so no need to panic for the Timberwolves. Minnesota can still wrestle home court advantage away with a win on Thursday.
DraftKings Sportsbook has OKC -7.5 over MIN at home with the total at 214.5. For Game 1, the spread was also 7.5 points in favor of OKC while the total was 215.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $500K Shootaround [$100K to 1st] (MIN at OKC)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
Captain’s Picks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($18,600 CP): I went with SGA in Game 1 and I shall not deviate off the yellow brick road. SGA is the alpha and omega of the Thunder offense. While he doesn’t rain down thunderbolts from the heavens, SGA slices and dices opposing defenses like a sushi chef. The floor is incredibly high due to the usage, role and bucket-getting ability, but that’s not to say a ceiling game can’t be produced. SGA went over 70 FPTS eight times during the regular season with a high of 81.5 FPTS. In the three most recent regular season games against Minnesota, SGA put up 64.5, 70 and 47.5 FPTS, but Randle and Gobert did not play in any of those contests. Way back in December, with both teams at full strength, SGA finished with 54.75 FPTS on 40 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals. In Game 1, SGA went for 31 points, five rebounds, nine assists and three steals, good for 55.75 FPTS.
UTIL Plays
Cason Wallace ($3,400): Wallace has been a significant part of the rotation off the bench for the Thunder. He is stout on the defensive end, makes the extra pass and knocks down open Js. He finished with over 20 FPTS in three of the last four games in the Denver series. In the last two games of that series, he received 29 and 27 minutes, albeit one of those games was a blowout. In Game 1 against Minnesota, Wallace played a whopping 33 minutes and produced three points, three rebounds, seven assists and a steal for 18.25 FPTS. The access to a ceiling may not be there, but the price is palatable for the expected floor and playing time.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($2,800): The playing time has been all over the map for NAW this playoffs. Entering the series with OKC, NAW received at least 20 minutes in four contests. He was in the teens for the remainder. He’s a low usage player, and he’s finished with single-digit FPTS during these playoffs. He does have two games with 21 and 30.5 FPTS, though, so a ceiling game is not out of the question. During Game 1, NAW received 28 minutes. He finished with 15.5 FPTS. He only shot 3-of-11 from the field. The range of outcomes is wide, but there’s a chance due to his size and versatility that he continues getting over 20 minutes of run, probably at the expense of Mike Conley. At his price, the risk/reward seems favorable.
Naz Reid ($6,200): For Game 1, I wrote that, “I think there’s a chance Gobert gets played off the floor. If so, Reid would likely be the primary beneficiary. There’s also the scenario in which the Timberwolves find themselves down by a bunch of points, which would require shooters galore. Reid would be out there in that scenario. In the first regular season meeting with the Thunder when Randle and Gobert were playing, Reid played 33 minutes and finished with 37 FPTS. In the other three contests without Randle and Gobert, Reid put up 60, 48.75 and 41.75 FPTS.” Gobert only played 21 minutes on Tuesday and I think that’s how it will be for most of the series. As for Reid, he finished with 20.5 FPTS despite shooting 1-of-11 from the field in 28 minutes. I think Reid continues to get the minutes and opportunities. His price decreased $200 from Game 1 and recency bias could lower his ownership.
Fades
Isaiah Hartenstein ($7,000): This is what I wrote for Game 1 – “Since I think there’s a chance Gobert gets played off the floor, then Hartenstein would likely be adversely affected in that scenario. In the first regular season game with Gobert and Randle playing, Hartenstein played 32 minutes. In the other three games without Randle and Gobert, Hartenstein played 27, 26 and 16 minutes.” In Game 1, Hartenstein played 20 minutes. Now, some could be that Gobert only played 21 minutes while the other part is that the Thunder ended up winning by 26 points. That said, I still think the playing time is depressed for Hartenstein in this series and, at his price point, I’d rather go in other directions.
THE OUTCOME
The Thunder swept the leg in Game 1. I think they take care of the other one on Thursday.
Final Score: Thunder 117, Timberwolves 96
