On brief relaxation, host Thunder out to seize Game 1 vs. recent Wolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder had loads of day off forward of their first two playoff collection.

Now, within the Western Conference finals towards the Minnesota Timberwolves, will probably be the Thunder who come into the collection on brief relaxation whereas their opponent has rather more time to recuperate.

The collection begins Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder are coming off a 125-93 win over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday in Game 7 of their second-round collection.

The Timberwolves have not performed in six days after closing out the Golden State Warriors in 5 video games.

Oklahoma City had one week between video games earlier than its first-round collection towards Memphis after which 9 days between video games earlier than the collection towards the Nuggets.

In the primary spherical, the Thunder opened with a 51-point win over the Grizzlies, however dropped Game 1 to Denver after fading late.

Minnesota had a six-day layoff earlier than every of its first two collection, successful Game 1 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and dropping Game 1 to Golden State. The Timberwolves received every collection in 5 video games.

The Timberwolves are within the convention finals for the second consecutive season and the third time of their historical past. Minnesota has by no means superior to the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City is within the Western Conference finals for the primary time since 2016 and on the lookout for its first finals look since 2012.

The collection options two of the NBA’s high defenses, each in the course of the common season and within the playoffs.

The Thunder boast a 101.6 defensive score — factors allowed per 100 possessions — in 11 playoff video games, finest this postseason. Minnesota’s 106.8 defensive score is second.

It additionally options two of the league’s high younger stars in Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.0 factors, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds this postseason whereas Edwards is averaging 26.5 factors, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the front-runner for Most Valuable Player honors, is wanting ahead to the matchup towards cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Minnesota.

The two gamers have been born lower than two months aside in Toronto and each attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“It’ll be very enjoyable,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “It’s onerous to even clarify. If you understand how shut we’re, he is actually like my second brother. He’s been by means of each stage of life with me — selecting up a basketball to going to prep faculty to creating the NBA, we have gone by means of each state of affairs collectively. For each of us to be the place we’re is particular, to compete towards one another much more particular.

“But I’m attempting to take his head off for certain.”

In a 2023 play-in recreation, Alexander-Walker helped maintain his cousin to a 5-of-19 taking pictures evening.

Alexander-Walker mentioned Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency has lifted him to a special echelon.

“That comes from diligence, onerous work, seeing it first hand and self-discipline that honestly I have never seen in anyone else,” Alexander-Walker mentioned. “I’ve not seen self-discipline like his. So I feel that is the primary cause why individuals assume he is made a leap when actually he is simply been in a position to be constantly that, as a result of he is been so disciplined in his strategy.”

The groups break up their four-game season collection and break up their two video games in Oklahoma City.

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert performed in simply a kind of video games — a New Year’s Eve loss — whereas Chet Holmgren appeared in two of the video games for the Thunder.

“Apples to apples, I do not know if these video games are the proper framework by means of which to take a look at the collection,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned. “It’ll be totally different.”

–Field Level Media