Thunder Shock the NBA: Finals Bound, But Will Their True Test Begin Now?
It’s been quite a ride for the Oklahoma City Thunder, carving their way back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012—a journey filled with grit and guts, capped off by a commanding 124-94 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t just play; he put on a masterclass, racking up 34 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, earning him the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Trophy as the Western Conference Finals MVP. But this thriller? It’s just a stepping stone. The Thunder know they’re a long way from the ultimate prize, and the hunger in Gilgeous-Alexander’s voice tells you it’s far from over. Next up, a showdown with either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks, with the Dream Team’s youngest squad since ’77 ready to shock the basketball world. Stick around—this story’s just heating up! LEARN MORE.
“I tip my hat to those guys. They came ready.”Meanwhile, the Timberwolves saw their season end in the conference finals for the second year running, having lost to the Dallas Mavericks last year.The 26-year-old Canadian, also named Western Conference MVP on Wednesday, is on course to become the first scoring champion since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win an NBA title in the same season.The NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) scored 34 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the 124-94 victory as the Thunder won the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series 4-1.Gilgeous-Alexander joins Steph Curry, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the only players in the past 20 years to reach the Finals in the same year as winning the MVP.”That’s all that I’m focused on. This isn’t the end of our road.””This is a step in the right direction but we have a lot more work to do to get to our ultimate goal, so let’s buckle up and get ready,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.Chet Holmgren added 22 points while Jalen Williams also scored 19 for the Thunder, who are the youngest team in the NBA Finals since the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, with an average age of 25.6 years.Getty Images
Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist
2 hours ago
The Thunder remain on course for a first NBA title, having been beaten by the Miami Heat in 2012.The Thunder will host game one of the Finals next Thursday, when they face the winners of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks for the NBA title. Indiana lead the series 3-1 with game five on Thursday.Gilgeous-Alexander added: “These guys really make me feel like I’m a kid playing AAU basketball, like I’m 15 years old again.”It’s just fun. That’s what makes us really good. We have so much fun being out there together.””They dominated the game from the tip,” said Anthony Edwards, who scored 19 points for the Timberwolves, who were led by Julius Randle with 24 points.
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