Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder’s second-half comeback to secure a 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of their NBA Western Conference finals series.
The Timberwolves, fueled by Julius Randle’s 20-point first half, held a 48-44 lead at halftime, looking poised to pull off an upset against the top seeds. However, the Thunder responded in the final two quarters, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 20 of his 31 points to guide his team to victory.
“We were a bit rusty in the first half, but we shouldn’t have been,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN during a post-game interview. “We were missing layups and free throws. We just needed to stay aggressive and trust the work we’ve put in.”
The MVP candidate, who scored 30 or more points for the fourth straight game, also recorded five rebounds and a game-high nine assists.
“Game ones are feel-out games,” he added. “In game two, they’ll make adjustments, and we will too. It’s a best-of-seven series, not first to one. It’s a good start, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Game two of the series will take place in Oklahoma City on Friday at 01:30 BST.
