Jalen Williams (left) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are fueling OKC’s 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Through two Western Conference Finals games, we’ve seen eerily similar scripts and performances play out in Oklahoma City’s favor. A competitive, back-and-forth battle in the first half of each contest, followed by a somewhat sluggish opening to third quarters that can only be described as the calm before the Thunder-storm.
Even on a night that saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander receive his first Michael Jordan MVP Trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver prior to tip-off, OKC’s leader quickly put the deafening cheers of Paycom Center behind him in order to rally around his guys and ensure they were locked in for Game 2. That mental fortitude and focus on the task ahead of them was a defining factor in securing a commanding 2-0 series lead before heading to Minnesota.
Thursday’s first half was much like the one we saw on Tuesday, with both squads exchanging blows with playoff intensity in an incredible environment. However, with a little less than five minutes remaining before halftime, SGA put the Thunder on his back by scoring their final 11 points. His 3-pointer with 16 seconds left gave OKC an 8-point advantage at the break, and they would ride that shockwave of momentum over the next 12 minutes of action.
At the midway point of the third, the Thunder had a 68-63 lead as the Wolves held an early 13-10 scoring edge out of the break. But over the final six minutes, SGA and Jalen Williams helped spark a 25-8 run to jump out to a 93-71 lead heading to the fourth quarter that they would not relinquish.
After two games, the Thunder have outscored the Wolves 67-39 in third quarters, thanks to timely shot-making and suffocating defense. In Game 1, OKC used a 20-6 run over the final 7:20 of that frame to turn a 4-point deficit into a double-digit lead. They’re now averaging 33.5 points on 59.1% FG / 40.0% 3P / 81.8% FT shooting splits and a +14 plus-minus rating in the WCF.
Before the conference finals, Minnesota was the team that would consistently erupt in the second half of games. In those ten contests, the Wolves were putting up 29.1 points on 51.4% FG / 39.0% 3P / 75.0% FT splits. Against the Thunder, they’re averaging just 19.5 points while shooting 30.8% overall and 15.8% from behind the arc, along with 4.0 turnovers, giving them a -57.1 net rating.
Coach Mark Daigneault’s adjustments and SGA’s leadership are two massive reasons why Oklahoma City has the best net rating (15.5) and the lowest turnover percentage (9.3) in third quarters. The relentless defense has more than played its part as well. The two teams the Thunder faced in the first two rounds, Denver and Memphis, ranked 14th and 16th in turnover percentage, respectively. Minnesota is averaging 16.5 TOs in the WCF, good for a 16.3% ratio.
This display of dominance has allowed OKC to keep its foot on the gas with a killer mentality. That mental toughness, especially with all the unbelievable comebacks we’ve witnessed in the 2025 Playoffs, has been the difference-maker in this series. If the Thunder can maintain that same calm, cool and collected demeanor in Game 3 on Saturday in Minnesota (8:30, ABC), they’ll be in prime position to take a 3-0 lead in this series.
