Thunder Overwhelm Outmatched Timberwolves in Game 5 Win, Secure Spot in 2025 NBA Finals
May 29, 2025 at 1:20 PM UTC · 5 min read
This one was over from the start. A superior Oklahoma City Thunder team swarmed the Minnesota Timberwolves from the opening tip Wednesday night and cruised to a 124-94 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
The victory secured a 4-1 series for the Thunder and a berth in the NBA Finals. There, the Thunder will be overwhelming favorites to secure the franchise’s first NBA championship since it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, no matter the opponent.
Thunder Cap Impressive Run Through West in Dominant Fashion
The Thunder were the best team in the NBA all regular season and look very much poised to challenge for the title after steamrolling the Timberwolves in what was largely a dominant run through the Western Conference playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets pushed the Thunder to the brink in a stout seven-game test in the conference semifinals. But the Thunder capped the series with a Game 7 blowout over a core that led the Nuggets to a championship just two seasons ago. OKC’s depth and persistence on both sides of the floor ultimately wore Denver down.
Outside of that series, the West was a cakewalk for the Thunder, whose relentless defense and efficient offense were considerably more than either the Memphis Grizzlies or Timberwolves could handle. Look no further than Wednesday’s first quarter for evidence.
Overwhelming First Quarter Sinks Timberwolves
The Timberwolves got on the board first with a 3-point shot by Julius Randle. They didn’t score again until an Anthony Edwards layup with 6:53 left in the quarter mercifully ended a 1-for-11 start from the field. By the time the first quarter was done, the Thunder had opened a 26-9 lead and limited the Timberwolves to their lowest output in any quarter this season. Cason Wallace added insult to injury with a 3-pointer to beat the first-quarter buzzer on a pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Timberwolves shot 3 of 20 from the field in the opening stanza. They missed all nine of their 3-point attempts. Edwards (six points) and Randle (three points) were the only Timberwolves players to score. Gilgeous-Alexander (12 points) outscored the Timberwolves on his own.
SGA Named Series MVP
Oklahoma City’s MVP ended the game with 34 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14 of 25 from the field in another scintillating playoff effort that ended with him earning Western Conference finals MVP via a unanimous vote.
Thunder Keep on the Gas
The tepid first-quarter effort signaled that Minnesota’s season was, indeed, over. There was no reprieve in the second quarter, and the Thunder entered halftime with a 65-32 lead. By then, the Timberwolves had more turnovers (14) than made field goals (12). Those turnovers frequently turned into points for Oklahoma City.
The only question remaining after halftime was whether Oklahoma City would challenge the record for the largest margin of victory in postseason history (58 points) that they’d flirted with already in these playoffs.
The Timberwolves fended off that ignominy and played a competitive third quarter that they won, 30-23. Their refusal to fold after getting overwhelmed in the first half can stand as a point of pride for a team that advanced to the Western Conference finals for a second straight season.
But make no mistake. The Timberwolves never stood a chance in this game or this series.
The Thunder forced 21 Timberwolves turnovers on Wednesday. They secured the rebounding margin 46-39. They outshot the Timberwolves from the field (52.3% to 41.2%) from 3 (40% to 35.3%) and from the free-throw line (85.7% to 80%).
Chet Holmgren (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Jalen Williams (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) joined Gilgeous-Alexander with sterling efforts to cap another big game from Oklahoma City’s Big 3.
Randle (24 points, 5 rebounds) and Edwards (19 points, 6 rebounds) were the only Timberwolves starters to score more than five points. Mike Conley went scoreless. Rudy Gobert scored two points on a single field-goal attempt. Jaden McDaniels shot 2 of 13 from the field in a five-point effort.
It added up to a microcosm of a dominant series for the Thunder.
OKC Was in a Different Class
After the grind of a second-