Thunder Strikes Over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

MINNESOTA, TUESDAY — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves was nothing short of extraordinary, one of the best individual performances in playoff history. But there’s a bigger reason why the Thunder have been the strongest team since the start of the season through the conference finals.

Shai celebrated by creating 40 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds at the opponent's home base at Target Center Stadium, on Tuesday (5/27/2025) WIB. The contribution led the Thunder to a dramatic 128-126 victory over the Timberwolves. Leading 3-1 in the regional final series, the Thunder only need one more win to advance to the NBA final this season.

Shai, this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player, bounced back from scoring just 14 points in a 101-143 Game 3 loss. “I tried not to think too much about the points or the assists, just tried to enjoy the game more, be aggressive and be in the right spots,” he said, who successfully renewed his personal playoff points record.

The individual actions of the star from the Canadian national team were indeed impressive. However, the Thunder managed to secure victory thanks to multiple factors. On the offensive side, the contributions of Jalen Williams (34 points) and Chet Holmgren (21 points) were also very significant. The trio from the Thunder successfully combined for a total of 95 points.

The support of other players is crucial for Shai, as seen when the Thunder led 113-109 at the end of the fourth quarter. Shai attempted to penetrate into the Timberwolves' interior but was held back by two players simultaneously, namely Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. Amidst this difficulty, Williams was already waiting at the three-point line.

Shai, who had already fallen, passed the ball to Williams. This possession resulted in an additional three points for the visiting team. Williams was the most outstanding player in the fourth game, making six out of nine three-point shots. Furthermore, the defense will be more open for Shai when his teammates are able to contribute.

There was something interesting about Shai's statistics in the match. He shot 30 times or the most in his playoff career. The 26-year-old guard's shooting accuracy was actually not very good, only 43 percent, but he remained confident because of the alertness of the other players in grabbing the rebound.

There is no secret really. They know how to beat us. So do we.

The Thunder had 19 offensive rebounds. Big two Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein each had four rebounds as the Thunder had their second possession. “They outrebounded us, got more 50-50 balls,” Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said.

Thunder's victory was also achieved thanks to the defense factor. In the previous series, versus the Denver Nuggets, guard Alex Caruso played an important role on the defensive side. Caruso successfully limited the movement of the opposing center and three-time MVP winner, Nikola Jokic, in a duel titled "David versus Goliath".

In the fourth game, a special task was assigned to Lu Dort, who has just been selected for the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Dort was tasked with closely guarding Edwards, who was on fire with a total of 62 points in the last two games. As a result, Edwards only contributed 16 points and made one out of seven three-point attempts.

Dort managed to limit Edwards from finding a comfort zone in the Thunder defense. He stuck to the opposing star for most of the game. Dort even managed to provoke two offensive fouls thanks to his aggressiveness and defensive instincts. Edwards, who usually pulls the gravity of the opposing defense, lost control.

Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said the Thunder have too many weapons and consistency to beat. “There’s really no secret. They know how to beat us. So do we. It just comes down to who executes better,” Shai’s cousin said.

The complete squad composition with so many weapons is what makes the Thunder so dominant this season. Indeed, Shai and his teammates have managed to top the regular season standings in the Western Conference with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses, and they are now just one victory away from reaching the finals.

Unlike the Thunder, consistency has become a major issue for the Timberwolves. Their two stars, Edwards and Julius Randle, can suddenly disappear. Randle, for instance, had minimal contributions in the fourth game (5 points) and the second game (6 points). In fact, he was able to score over 20 points in the first and third games.

The Timberwolves were able to compete closely in the game thanks to contributions from the bench squad. More than half of their points (64 points) were contributed by bench players, including Nickeil (23 points) and Donte DiVincenzo (21 points). The two players successfully made a total of ten three-point shots.

Trailing 1-3, it is difficult for the Timberwolves to make a comeback in this series. They are outmatched in terms of star players on the court and supporting squads. Shai significantly outperformed Edwards in this series, while other Thunder players also contributed more. The Timberwolves must sweep three consecutive games if they wish to advance, two of which will be on the Thunder's home court. (AP)