Thunder beat Nuggets in Game 7, will face Timberwolves for WCF crown
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder cruised past the Nuggets and will now face the Timberwolves for the Western Conference crown.
Sports Pulse
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are prohibitive favorites as they open the NBA’s Western Conference finals Tuesday night against the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder needed to work a little harder to get here, going the distance against the Denver Nuggets before finally pulling away with a 125-93 victory in Game 7 behind 35 points from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This marks the franchise’s sixth appearance in the conference finals since moving from Seattle in 2008, though Oklahoma City is still looking for its first title.
Minnesota earned a second consecutive trip to the conference finals by eliminating the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors in five games. By the time this game tips off, the Timberwolves will have enjoyed five full days of rest, compared to just one off day for the Thunder.
Follow along for the latest updates from Game 1 of the Timberwolves vs. Thunder:
The Timberwolves head to the locker room with a four-point lead over the Thunder, thanks to a monster first half from Julius Randle. Randle has 20 of Minnesota’s 48 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-pointers. His five 3s already marks a playoff career-high for Randle.
The Timberwolves are 10-of-28 collectively from 3, while the Thunder have only hit 3-of-8 3-pointers. Oklahoma City, however, has done most of its damage inside and has outscored Minnesota 22-4 in the paint.
Despite having a team-high 11 points, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled so far. He’s 2-of-13 from the field and 0-of-2 from 3, but he has made 7-of-9 free throws to save his stat line.
The Timberwolves have surrendered 11 turnovers, which has translated to 18 points for the Thunder.
Just one quarter into the Western Conference finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves got an injury scare — and it concerns their best player.
With less than a minute to play in the period, All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards turned his right ankle while driving through the lane against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he landed on his foot, tweaking it. Edwards was fouled on the play and immediately grabbed at his ankle. He appeared to be in some discomfort.
Edwards stayed in the game and made one of his two free throw attempts after the injury. ESPN cameras showed that, after the quarter ended, Edwards went into the locker room, where he remained at the start of the second quarter, but he returned to the floor with 7:01 remaining in the half.
Read Lorenzo Reyes’ full injury report here.
End of Q1: Timberwolves 23, Thunder 20
The Timberwolves have a three-point advantage over the Thunder after one quarter. Anthony Edwards has a team-high 7 points (2-of-3 FG, 1-of-1 3PT) for Minnesota, but he headed back to the locker room limping with an apparent ankle injury. He appeared to tweak his right ankle after landing on Alex Caruso as he drove to the basket in the closing minutes of the first quarter.
Despite coming off nearly a week of rest, the Timberwolves came out red-hot and jumped to a 8-0 lead over the Thunder, with their first five points coming from Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels. The Thunder settled in and took their first lead of the night, 17-16, with 4:58 remaining.
The Thunder’s relentless pressure was on full display and more than half of their points came off turnovers. The Timberwolves were forced into seven turnovers that Oklahoma City converted into 13 points. Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a game-high 9 points (2-of-8 FG, 0-of-2 3PT).
Hartenstein made it all happen on this OKC sequence 😤
Forces the turnover.
Runs the floor.
Finishes the lob.
Timberwolves/Thunder battling early in Game 1 of the West Finals on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/lNBrq3dAoC
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2025What time is Timberwolves vs. Thunder?
Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference Final series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder gets underway at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT.
How to watch Timberwolves vs. Thunder: TV, streamTime: 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CTLocation: Paycom Center; Oklahoma City, OklahomaTV: ESPNStream: ESPN+, FuboTimberwolves-Thunder starting lineups
The Timberwolves and Thunder are sticking with the same lineups they’ve been riding throughout the 2025 NBA Playoffs:
Jaden McDanielsJulius RandleRudy GobertAnthony EdwardsMike Conley
Oklahoma City Thunder
Jalen WilliamsChet HolmgrenIsaiah HartensteinLu DortShai Gilgeous-Alexander
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s mascot is none other than Rumble the Bison, who is named after the sound of thunder. Rumble the Bison made a special appearance on ESPN’s pregame show, leading many to wonder why a bison is the mascot? Well, bison are the official state animal of Oklahoma.
Mike Conley stats
Conley averaged a career-low 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 71 games this year, which marks his 18th season in the NBA. He has averaged 6.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 10 games in the 2025 playoffs.
Look at the NBA finalists and champions. You need stars to win, and both teams have them. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP finalist and very well could win the award for the first time in his career. He’s a scorer first, especially inside the 3-point line and at the foul line, but he can create for others.
Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will make one of the three All-NBA teams this season as he gets closer to MVP territory. Just 23 years old, Edwards’ ability to score, rebound, pass and defend makes him difficult to match-up with offensively and defensively. He’s fun to watch and has a delightful swagger to his game.
Read Jeff Zillgitt’s full Western Conference finals storylines here.
Every game has a player who makes a bigger-than-expected contribution. It’s not always the same player, especially with the depth Minnesota and Oklahoma City possess. For Minnesota, it might be Jaden McDaniel’s defense or Rudy Gobert’s rim protection. Or a timely 3-pointer from Mike Conley or a big game from Donte DiVincenzo or Naz Reid.
For the Thunder, Alex Caruso was that player in Game 7 against Denver, with 11 points, three assists, three steals and intense defense. Chet Holmgren – at 7-1 – can make 3s, rebound and block shots, presenting unique problems for the opponent. Center Isaiah Hartenstein can deliver a double-double and Lu Dort’s shooting and defense can impact the outcome. The Thunder will go deep into their bench with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams.
West Finals X factors: Reid, Dort, Randle
Naz Reid’s versatility, Lou Dort’s defense, and Julius Randle’s mismatch potential could shape the West Finals.
Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault isn’t worried about the Timberwolves trying to campaign for favorable calls.
“I mean, teams, players, coaches are going to use the media to try to influence the whistle as a competitive advantage,” Daigneault said Monday. “The margins are thin. In the playoffs, everyone’s looking for an advantage. Some teams will go to that to do that.”
Daigneault continued: “My mentality on that is, it’s the Western Conference finals. The (referees) working these games aren’t here for an accident. I don’t think they’re influenced by anything I say, anything our team says. I don’t think they’re compromised by anything anybody else says. You know, we just are going to focus on what we can control. If they are influenced by anything that anybody says in the media, they shouldn’t be working in the Western Conference finals, and everyone would know, because it’s been pretty consistent to this point. So that’s how I look at it.”
Mark Daigneault on the possibility Chris Finch tries to politick to the referees in this playoff series like he’s previously done against the Thunder: “We prepare the team for that games first of all. I said this in the Denver series because it came up there too — teams, players,… pic.twitter.com/krDrcForZQ
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 19, 2025
USA TODAY Sports experts make predictions ahead of the series Games 1:
Timberwolves vs. Thunder series winnerJeff Zillgitt: Thunder in sevenLorenzo Reyes: Thunder in sixHeather Tucker: Thunder in sixJames Williams: Thunder in sixJordan Mendoza: Timberwolves in sixScooby Axson: Thunder in sixCydney Henderson: Thunder in sevenTimberwolves vs. Thunder Game 1 winnerJeff Zillgitt: Oklahoma City ThunderLorenzo Reyes: Oklahoma City ThunderHeather Tucker: Oklahoma City ThunderJames Williams: Oklahoma City ThunderScooby Axson: Oklahoma City ThunderCydney Henderson: Oklahoma City ThunderTimberwolves vs. Thunder odds
Odds via BetMGM as of Monday, May 19
Game 1 odds
Line: Thunder – 7.5Moneyline: Thunder -325, Timberwolves +260Over/under: 215.5
Odds to win Western Conference Final
Oklahoma City Thunder -350Minnesota Timberwolves +280
Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt