Playoff NBA: Oklahoma City beats Minnesota in Race-2 of the West Final

The super defense plus the MVP of the season. The recipe for the success of the Thunder is the usual and continues to work: Oklahoma City overwhelms Minnesota 118-103 in the race-2 of the Western Conference final by defusing the attack of the Wolves and capitalizing the 38 points of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, at the first performance after being rewarded as best player 2024-25. Series on 2-0 now, Race-3 is scheduled for Saturday night in reversed fields, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, from 2.30 Italians on Sunday 25 May.

The merits of the Thunder

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The defense of the coach Daigneault team continues to be dominant. He stripped the 3-point shot of Minny of the 3-point shot: 15/51 in Race-1, 11/39 in Race-2. Another 14 balls lost forced, this time, obtaining 22 points in transition. Still the third period as a watershed of the game, in this case dominated 35-21. Then in attack Shai thinks about it: fifth game in a row with at least 30 points, deadly from the average distance. And as long as the whistles continue to arrive there are no antidotes for him: this time he goes to the bezel 15 times sending 13 free shots to target. Oklahoma City boasts while pulling 9/33 from 3, good sign. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren also disclose 20 points.

The demerits of the Wolves

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The attack is a disaster. Too many errors of readings on the two sides of the field: lost balls, bad shots beyond bad percentages, little lucidity. Minnesota is a super athletic team, but not very brain, who goes to flashes and that opposite the Thunders cannot have the dominance under the basket that had been the covered of Linus against Lakers and Warriors, without long playoffs, to the previous shifts. Julius Randle Toppa The race: only two baskets and 4 lost balls, put on the bench in the 4th period. And with Rudy Gobert Minny he plays 4 against 5 in attack. With Naz Reid the only along the Wolves show a great defense, but the blanket remains too short. Ant Edwards is a special talent, however soloist, not conductor.

the game

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The referee Scott Foster suffers an involuntary blow to the face by Lu Dort, after 1’37 “the race stops because he loses blood from the nose. 29-25 for Oklahoma City after the first 12 ‘. The 7 offensive rebounds keep the wolves in the running with just 35% from the field. The triple of Donte Pante Handsman is worth the overtaking, the 32-31. Thunder halfway through the race. Never Canestro from outside, so the Thunders lengthen in transition again. Wolves will already be behind the wall in Race-3, they will have to win it to have a hope in perspective Finals: the story tells that from below 0-3 to the playoffs has never been able to reassemble anyone.

Oklahoma City: Gilgeous-Alexander 38 (11/19, 1/2, 13/15 tl), Jal. Williams 26, Holmgren 22. Hinders: Jal. Williams 10. Assist: Gilgeous-Alexander 8.

Minnesota: Edwards 32 (11/17, 1/9, 7/10 TL), McDaniels 22, Alexander-Walker 17. Hinders: Edwards 9. Assist: Ewards 6.