Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Shines with 38 Points in Thunder Victory
On a memorable night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a resounding victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring 38 points. The triumph, with a final score of 118-103, gives the Thunder a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was awarded the NBA MVP award the previous day, proved his worth by making 12 of 21 field goals and 13 of 15 free throws. In addition, he contributed eight assists and three steals, solidifying his stellar performance.
Jalen Williams also had an outstanding performance with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Chet Holmgren contributed 22 points to the Thunder’s score.
Oklahoma City’s defense, led by Lu Dort and Jalen Williams, both recognized for their defensive performance, limited the Timberwolves to 41.4% shooting efficiency.
Anthony Edwards scored 32 points for the Timberwolves, but needed 26 shot attempts to achieve it. Jaden McDaniels added 22 points and Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 17.
The third game of the series will be played on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left in the first half, and then made two free throws in the final three seconds, helping Oklahoma City go into halftime with a 58-50 lead. The star player accumulated 19 points before the break.
In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander drove into the paint and made a difficult shot that went into the basket while being fouled by his cousin, Alexander-Walker. He made the free throw, extending the Thunder’s lead to 73-64.
A Cason Wallace alley-oop to Holmgren for a two-handed dunk in a fast break put Oklahoma City up 82-65 at the end of the third quarter. The Thunder took a 93-71 lead into the final quarter.
