The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are headed again to the NBA Finals for the primary time since 2012 — and so they did it in emphatic vogue.
With a commanding 124–91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Recreation 5 of the Western Convention Finals, the Thunder closed out the sequence 4–1 and cemented their place atop the Western Convention. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the best way with 34 factors, eight assists, and 7 rebounds on 14-of-25 taking pictures, incomes unanimous Western Convention Finals MVP honors.
Oklahoma Metropolis overwhelmed Minnesota from the opening tip, leaping out to a 26–9 lead after the primary quarter and by no means trying again. The Thunder held the Timberwolves to their lowest-scoring quarter of the season, pressured 21 turnovers, and outshot them 52.7% to 41.2% from the sphere. It was a wire-to-wire efficiency that embodied the expansion, depth, and toughness of one of many league’s youngest and most harmful groups.
Shai and Daigneault Set the Tone
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the Western Convention Finals MVP 🙌 pic.twitter.com/pkcIHIjfg6
— NBA TV (@NBATV) Might 29, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander, who has delivered repeatedly in clutch moments all through the postseason, as soon as once more set the tone for Oklahoma Metropolis together with his environment friendly scoring and management.
“I simply go on the market and compete and depart every thing on the ground,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned after the win. “We have now a extremely good workforce, and I attempt to set the tone. The workforce picks me up with the best way they compete, so it’s a push and pull.”
When requested concerning the workforce’s strategy to high-stakes moments, Gilgeous-Alexander emphasised a key mantra that has guided all of them season: “You don’t flinch. That’s our greatest factor—ups and downs in the course of the season, ups and downs in the course of the recreation, you don’t flinch, you retain urgent.”
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault credited his group’s laser focus and maturity within the closeout efficiency.
“We had all of it going — defensive strain, defensive assist, responding offensively to what they had been making an attempt to do to us,” Daigneault mentioned. “The main focus via the distraction of a close-out recreation to go to the Finals, they had been laser centered. The psychological toughness was nice. Clearly, up 3-1, there’s a bent to float forward, however that wasn’t the case. We performed subsequent possession.”
He didn’t mince phrases when describing how completely his workforce outperformed Minnesota.
“This was no contest,” Daigneault added. “We had been able to play and did every thing higher than them from the bounce tonight. We dug ourselves a gap early however tried to drum it up a few instances. They saved their foot on the gasoline and we had been by no means in a position to give ourselves any traction.”
Daigneault additionally praised his workforce’s physicality, which stifled the Timberwolves from the beginning.
“They had been far more bodily and forceful on each ends of the ground, and that’s a tricky mixture,” Daigneault mentioned. “We will study from this and be higher shifting ahead.”
Balanced Assault and Defensive Dominance
Along with Gilgeous-Alexander’s brilliance, the Thunder obtained main contributions from their deep and versatile rotation. Chet Holmgren completed with 19 factors, seven rebounds, and three blocks, whereas Jalen Williams hit a number of threes and introduced relentless power on each ends. Alex Caruso performed an important position defensively, serving to to comprise Anthony Edwards and disrupt Minnesota’s offensive rhythm.
The Timberwolves, in the meantime, struggled throughout the board. Rudy Gobert was held to 2 factors on only one shot try, Jaden McDaniels went 2-for-13 from the sphere, and Mike Conley failed to attain. The Thunder’s protection repeatedly collapsed passing lanes and compelled powerful photographs, whereas controlling the boards 46–39 and holding Minnesota to 5-of-25 from past the arc.
“This journey is just not straightforward, and it’s not meant to be straightforward,” Williams mentioned. “These experiences will make us higher. Down the stretch, you’ve acquired to know the rating, clearly, however you possibly can’t let that have an effect on the sport. They’re going to attain. They’re a extremely good workforce. … I feel a whole lot of it’s we simply stayed with it.”
First NBA Finals Look Since 2012
Welcome again to the NBA Finals @okcthunder!
The ultimate moments of the Thunder eliminating the Spurs within the 2012 WCFpic.twitter.com/8sasboUCE1
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) Might 29, 2025
Oklahoma Metropolis’s 2025 Finals berth marks a watershed second for the franchise. Simply three seasons in the past, the Thunder had been within the midst of a rebuild, ending with 22 wins in 2021. Now, they’ve emerged as Western Convention champions following a 68-win common season and playoff victories over Denver and Minnesota.
Their Finals look is the franchise’s first since 2012 — when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden led the cost — and it comes with a roster that’s the second-youngest to achieve the NBA Finals within the shot clock period (common age 25.6). That achievement underscores the affect of normal supervisor Sam Presti’s long-term imaginative and prescient and the persistence of possession and followers alike.
The Thunder have constructed via the draft, participant growth, and strategic acquisitions, resisting the temptation to chase superstars in free company or through commerce. Their success is a blueprint for small-market groups and a validation of sustained organizational planning.
“My teammates make the NBA really feel pleasurable, not like a job. We have now an unbelievable time taking part in collectively. This isn’t the top of our journey,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “We didn’t start the season with the objective of merely profitable the West; our goal is to safe the NBA championship. We’re one step nearer.”
The Thunder now await the winner of the Japanese Convention Finals as they put together to return to basketball’s greatest stage — not simply as a feel-good story, however as a legit menace to win all of it.
