Thunder Near NBA Finals After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Leads Game 4 Thriller Against Timberwolves

Thunder Stun Timberwolves and Stand on Brink of NBA Finals

If you like your basketball with a side of heart-stopping drama, Game 4 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves delivered the goods. In a nail-biter from start to finish, the Thunder snagged a razor-thin 128-126 victory at the Target Center in Minneapolis, putting them just a single win away from booking their ticket to the NBA Finals.

This wasn’t just any win. Minnesota came into the night buzzing off their record-setting 143-101 blowout in Game 3—a 42-point massacre that had basketball fans doubting if Oklahoma City could bounce back. The Timberwolves, thanks to Anthony Edwards' 30-point explosion and Julius Randle’s 24-point support act, seemed ready to even up the series. But the Thunder had other ideas.

Once again, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved why he holds the MVP trophy. Through four games in the Western Conference Finals, he’s poured in 27.7 points per contest, but it was his late-game swagger in Game 4 that made the loudest statement. Time and again, he found seams in the Timberwolves’ defense, knocking down tough jumpers and getting to the line when it mattered most.

Minnesota threw everything at Oklahoma City, with Karl-Anthony Towns providing muscle in the paint and Mike Conley sending in pinpoint passes. Home-court advantage has been a safety net for the Wolves this postseason—before Game 4, they’d only lost once at Target Center. Still, every Thunder answer was met with another big play, another timely rebound, and another clutch shot.

Oklahoma City’s supporting cast stepped up when it counted. Jalen Williams made his presence felt with a handful of smart defensive stops, and Chet Holmgren provided some crucial rim protection after struggling in Game 3. The bench effort was there, too, with Isaiah Joe sinking a couple of momentum-changing threes to keep the Thunder hanging around during Minnesota scoring runs.

Game 5: Oklahoma City’s Shot at History

The stakes for Game 5 couldn’t be higher. Oklahoma City is now just one win away from reaching their first NBA Finals since the Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook era in 2012. With the series returning to the raucous Paycom Center, the Thunder have a golden chance to finish the job in front of their home crowd.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are staring at elimination. They’ve been scrappy all season and have shown they can win on the road, but now they’re in do-or-die territory. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle will need to conjure something even bigger than Game 3 if Minnesota wants to keep its championship dream alive.

Everyone’s eyes are on the next matchup. Will the Thunder cap off their playoff run by punching through to the NBA Finals? Or can Minnesota claw its way back and change the story? In a series that’s had wild swings in momentum, anything feels possible when the ball goes up for Game 5.