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Nightly Pulse: Thunder vs. Timberwolves, Game 4

Check out the Western Conference Finals Game 4 between the Thunder and Timberwolves with live scores, updates and highlights.

NBA.com Staff

🏀Western Conference Finals – Game 4🏀

Oklahoma City Thunder 128, Minnesota Timberwolves 126 (Final)

Top Storyline Tonight 👇🔥

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 74 points in OKC’s 128-126 Game 4 thriller, giving the Thunder a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Both squads shot better than 50% from the field and 43% from behind the arc, but OKC took 11 more shots thanks to their activity on the offensive glass.

Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle had quiet nights, combining to score just 21 points on 6-for-20 shooting and 1-for-10 from 3. Minnesota will need their leaders to step up in Game 5 on Wednesday night in OKC, or else their 2025 Playoffs could come to an end.

🌟 Top Performers 🌟

  1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: playoff career-high 40 points (13-30 FG, 2-7 3PT, 12-14 FT) with 9 rebounds, 10 assists and a steal in 40 minutes. Helped OKC take a 3-1 lead over Minnesota.
  2. Jalen Williams: 34 points (13-24 FG, 6-9 3PT, 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals in 39 minutes in win vs. Timberwolves.
  3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 23 points (9-15 FG, 5-8 3PT), 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in 29 minutes in loss vs. Thunder.

Thunder take 3-1 lead ⚡🚨

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a playoff career-high 40 points (13-30 FG) with 9 rebounds, 10 assists and a steal in 40 minutes to lead OKC to a commanding 3-1 edge in the series. Jalen Williams had 34 points, on 13-for-24 shooting with 6 made 3s, adding 3 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals in 39 minutes.

Chet Holmgren had a monster game on both ends, coming up with a couple of huge blocks to keep the Thunder in control. He finished with 21 points (9-14 FG), 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, an assist and a steal in 33 minutes. Both teams finished with 19 offensive rebounds, but it seemed like OKC was able to grab most of theirs in game-changing fashion.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Wolves with 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting and 5 made 3s as a reserve, one of six Minnesota players to tally double figures in scoring. Jaden McDaniels (22 points, 4 steals), Donte DiVincenzo (21 points, 5 3PM) and Rudy Gobert (13 points, 9 boards) all had great games.

Anthony Edwards was a little quiet with 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting (1-7 3PT), adding 4 boards and 6 dimes in 41 minutes, but he was looking to get guys with the hot hand more good looks. Julius Randle had another rough night from the field, recording 5 points on 1-for-7 shooting in 28 minutes.

Minnesota outscored OKC’s bench 64-27, but the Wolves turned the ball over 21 times that led to 22 points off for the Thunder. Game 5 is back in Oklahoma City on Wednesday at 8:30 on ESPN.

Thunder, Wolves battling🤩🙌

Anthony Edwards hits his first 3 of the night to help Minnesota make it a 2-point game, but SGA and Jalen Williams have had an answer every time they get it close.

SGA is up to a game-high 35 points on 13-for-28 shooting, and J-Dub has 29 points with 5 assists. OKC has been able to stay in front most of the second half, and they lead 118-114 with 2 minutes to go. Turn this game on now!!

Chet comin’ through🌀😤

Chet Holmgren shakes Naz Reid out of his shoes before putting down an emphatic hammer, giving him 12 points in 22 minutes. SGA leads all scorers with 29 points on 11-for-25 shooting, while his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, leads the Timberwolves with 16 points in 17 minutes.

Minnesota has five players in double figures, but they’re trailing Oklahoma City 90-85 as we head to the fourth quarter. Tune in on ESPN to see if we’ll have a 2-2 or 3-1 series after the next 12 minutes.

Ant stepping up in 3Q💪🐜

Anthony Edwards is doing a little bit of everything to help the Timberwolves stay within striking distance. He’s got 6 points (2-5 FG), 3 rebounds and 4 assists, and Rudy Gobert has been solid again tonight with 11 points (4-6 FG, 3-6 FT), 8 boards and a block.

Minnesota just tied it at 79 after DiVincenzo drained back-to-back corner 3s from essentially the same spot, and he’s up to 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting with 3 made 3s. Game 4 is getting GOOD – live on ESPN!

Thunder 🆙 at halftime ⛈️

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has clearly put OKC’s performance from Game 3 behind him, dropping 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting with 5 rebounds (4 offensive), 6 assists and a steal in 20 minutes. Jalen Williams poured in 13 of his 15 points in the first quarter, and Chet Holmgren has been a two-way force with 10 points, 5 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks.

Jaden McDaniels leads Minnesota with 12 points and 3 steals, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is right behind him with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting (3-3 3PT) in 10 minutes off the bench. Anthony Edwards (4 points) and Julius Randle (5 points, 4 TOs) are off to slow starts, but a 30-13 advantage in bench scoring has kept this game close.

It’s been a physical matchup so far tonight, and OKC has responded well from their 42-point defeat on Saturday. The Thunder have a 65-57 lead after two quarters of play.

Incredible sequence for Wolves💥

Mike Conley turns it up on defense and Terrence Shannon, Jr. just blows by OKC’s defense for the tough finish. TSJ has 7 points in 5 minutes off the bench after starting the second quarter.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has popped for 8 points and 2 steals off the bench for the Wolves, who are getting 25 points from their four reserves with court time. Minnesota is shooting better than 65% overall but still find themselves trailing 53-46 with 6 minutes to go before halftime.

Thunder duo are 🔥🔥

SGA and Jalen Williams each have 13 points to help OKC take a 37-30 lead after the first quarter. They’ve forced 7 turnovers with 4 steals in just 12 minutes, and the Thunder shot better than 55% from the field with 6 made 3s.

Anthony Edwards (2 points) didn’t take his first shot of the game until the final minutes of the quarter, but Jaden McDaniels has 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting to lead the Wolves. Minnesota has gotten 13 points from their bench, led by Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid with 5 apiece.

OKC is maintaining a 39-32 lead one minute into the second quarter, live on ESPN!

J-Mac and-1😤💥

Jaden McDaniels gets off and running for the and-1 slam over Chet Holmgren. J-Mac leads all scorers with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, along with 2 boards and 2 steals.

Jalen Williams leads OKC with 8 points on 3-for-4 shooting and 2-for-2 from downtown, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort each have 4 points. The Thunder have an 18-17 lead in a fast-paced Game 4 in Minneapolis, with 5:38 left in the opening quarter.

Starters for Minnesota🐺

The Wolves will run out the only starting five they’ve used the entire postseason, with Chris Finch loving how his guys answered the call on Saturday night to avoid the 0-3 deficit.

Keep an eye out for Terrence Shannon, Jr. and his role after catching fire with 15 points in 13 minutes off the bench in Game 3.

Top Storyline Tonight 📢📰‼️

The first two games of the Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and Timberwolves belong to OKC, but the Wolves absolutely feasted in front of their home crowd in Game 3 to make it a 2-1 series.

Anthony Edwards had a game-high 30 points on 12-for-17 shooting and five made 3s in the 143-101 victory, while Julius Randle bounced back from somewhat of a benching in Game 2, dropping 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting and a game-best +38 in 30 minutes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his 30-point consecutive game streak snapped, finishing with just 14 points in 28 minutes. How will he and the Thunder’s vaunted defense respond after a 42-point loss?

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