Thunder bounce back to beat
T-wolves 128-126 to take 3-1 lead behind SGA's 40-point game
[May 27, 2025]
By DAVE CAMPBELL
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Being blown out the game before didn't sit well
with Oklahoma City.
The young Thunder moved within one win of the NBA Finals with a
championship response.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists
in a steely performance befitting the NBA MVP and the Oklahoma City
Thunder snapped back from a 42-point loss by beating the Minnesota
Timberwolves 128-126 in Game 4 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in
the Western Conference finals.
“I tried not to worry too much about scoring or making plays or
whatever it was,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I tried to just lose
myself in the competition, be aggressive, pick my spots.”
Jalen Williams scored 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting, including 6
of 9 from 3-point range, and Chet Holmgren added 21 points, seven
rebounds and three blocks in a statement game in his hometown that
helped the Thunder stave off several pushes by the Wolves to tie the
series.
Gilgeous-Alexander went 12 for 14 from the free-throw line, making a
pair with 6.1 seconds left to stretch the lead back to three. The
Thunder fouled Anthony Edwards with 3.5 seconds to go, and his
intentional miss of the second free throw to try to keep possession
was tracked down in the corner by Gilgeous-Alexander and flung out
of bounds to drain the clock.
The Wolves had one more desperation inbounds pass from half-court
with 0.3 seconds remaining that Williams grabbed to send the Thunder
back to Oklahoma City for a close-out Game 5 on Wednesday.
“They outplayed us, outrebounded us, got more of the 50-50 balls,”
said Edwards, who was limited to 16 points. “Wanted it a little bit
more.”
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Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, top, reaches to steal
the ball over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso during the
second half of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals of the NBA
basketball playoffs Monday, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie
Parr)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points) and Donte
DiVincenzo (21 points) each went 5 for 8 from 3-point range to lead
a second straight onslaught of bench offense to keep the Wolves
close all night, but the Thunder always had an answer for the
mini-runs they managed. They trailed for only 36 seconds, all
stretches in the first quarter.
“Give their role guys credit," coach Mark Daigneault said. "The
shot-making was ridiculous, so for us to overcome that on the road
the way we did was a great team win.”
Any intrigue about how the Thunder would respond from Game 3 quickly
disappeared when Williams started hitting from deep to lead an
11-for-17 shooting start from the floor. The Thunder grabbed 11
offensive rebounds in the first half, too.
The Thunder, for all their dominance, have shown a hint of
vulnerability away from Paycom Center, where they’re 7-1 with a
plus-191 scoring differential this postseason. But Luguentz Dort
helped bottle up Edwards and Julius Randle (five points on 1-for-7
shooting), and the Thunder forced 23 turnovers to help offset those
64 bench points.
“Uphill battle," DiVincenzo said, "but everybody is sticking
together, understanding that you try to look at this game and grab
any sort of hope.”
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