NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and nine assists in a superb performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder pipped the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-126 to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
The Thunder scraped to the vital win in impressive style after the 143-101 thrashing they suffered in game three.
SGA DROPS A NEAR 40-POINT TRIPLE DOUBLE 🤯
⚡️ 40 PTS
⚡️ 10 AST
⚡️ 9 REBThe @okcthunder take a 3-1 Western Conference Finals lead! pic.twitter.com/Lu44iHcoLs
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2025
Victory in game five in Oklahoma on Wednesday will secure the Thunder a place in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, where they would face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks.
“We did a good job of staying in the moment tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“We obviously had a bad taste in our mouth from the last game, and we just wanted to control the things that we could control tonight. I think staying in the moment was the best way to do so.
“We could have been better tonight for sure. Tonight wasn’t perfect, but we gave ourselves a chance… and we got a W.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points off the bench for the Timberwolves, with Jaden McDaniels contributing 22 points, and Donte DiVincenzo finishing with 21.
“Everything is out there,” Alexander-Walker said.
“There’s no secrets. They know how to beat us. We know how to beat them. It’s just about going out there and doing it and who wants it more [and who is] trying to execute it more.
“We showed that at times throughout this game, but consistency, that’s all it has to be.”
Any intrigue about how the Thunder would respond to the 143-101 drubbing in Game 3 quickly disappeared when Jalen Williams started hitting from deep to lead an 11-for-17 shooting start from the floor.
After shooting just 28% from 3-point range over their first six road games in these NBA playoffs, the Thunder went 16 for 37 — straining the Wolves defensively with all the difficulty Gilgeous-Alexander was presenting again following a quiet game on Saturday.
