The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are the last two teams remaining in the Western Conference playoffs, battling for a coveted spot in the NBA Finals. Both franchises are seeking a long-awaited return or a historic first appearance in the championship series. Oklahoma City`s last NBA Finals visit was in 2012, while the Timberwolves have never reached the Finals in their history. The Thunder took an early lead in the series, defeating Minnesota in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday.
As the top seed in the West, the Thunder enjoyed a dominant regular season, securing 68 wins. They swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs but faced a significant challenge in the second round against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. OKC ultimately prevailed in the intense seven-game series, clinching the win with a blowout performance in Game 7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a strong contender for the NBA MVP award, has been the Thunder`s leading scorer throughout their playoff run and contributed 31 points in the series opener against the Wolves.
Minnesota counters with their own superstar scorer, Anthony Edwards, who has been instrumental in guiding the Timberwolves to the conference finals for the second consecutive year. The Timberwolves advanced through the first two rounds efficiently, eliminating both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in five games each.
The Timberwolves are motivated to bounce back from their conference finals exit last season, where they lost in five games to the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder are making their first appearance in the conference finals since 2016, when their playoff journey ended against the Golden State Warriors.
Western Conference Finals Schedule
All times Eastern
- Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88 — Oklahoma City leads series 1-0
- Game 2: Thursday, May 22 | Timberwolves vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
- Game 3: Saturday, May 24 | Thunder vs. Timberwolves | 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
- Game 4: Monday, May 26 | Thunder vs. Timberwolves | 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
- *Game 5: Wednesday, May 28 | Timberwolves vs. Thunder | 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
- *Game 6: Friday, May 30 | Thunder vs. Timberwolves | 8:30 p.m., ESPN/fubo
- *Game 7: Sunday, June 1 | Timberwolves vs. Thunder | 8 p.m., ESPN/fubo
* If necessary
Jasper Hawthorne