Paycom Center was rocking throughout the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
But for a brief moment late in the fourth quarter, silence spread throughout the stadium. It happened when Nickeil Alexander-Walker sank a pair of free throws at the 2:33 mark, trimming OKC’s lead to 10 points in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.
That’s still a sizable advantage, but no lead has been safe these playoffs. Just ask New York, which blew a 14-point lead to Indiana in the final 2 minutes and 51 seconds of a Game 1 loss Wednesday.
But as the anxiety levels grew, Jalen Williams put Thunder fans at ease. The All-Star forward caught a pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the next possession, and he calmly drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing.
That helped OKC fend off a late comeback attempt by Minnesota. It now holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Here are four more takeaways from the game:
Rudy Gobert continued to struggle in this series
Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. He has also made eight All-Defensive teams.
But with only two minutes off the clock in the first quarter, OKC took a gold tester to Gobert’s treasure trove of defensive accolades.
Gobert was forced to switch onto Williams, who came off a screen at the 3-point line. Gobert then froze as Williams elevated for a mid-range jumper that found the bottom of the net.
That was one of the handful of times OKC attacked Gobert in the pick-and-roll. He also struggled on offense, scoring five points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field (25%) to go along with nine rebounds in 30 minutes.
This came after another quiet performance in Game 1, when Gobert recorded two points and three boards in 21 minutes. It’s a far cry from his regular-season averages of 12 points and 10.9 rebounds in 33.2 minutes.
OKC found success from close range amid 3-point woes
Donte DiVincenzo planted his feet to the hardwood.
He clawed at the basketball. He stuck out his chest and absorbed every bump.
But none of that was enough to stop Gilgeous-Alexander, who backed him down along the baseline late in the first quarter. Despite not giving up any separation, DiVincenzo still watched helplessly as the league’s MVP spun and drilled a fadeaway jumper.
Gilgeous-Alexander went to that spot on the floor — about 10 feet away from the rim — early and often Thursday. And whenever he did, it usually resulted in a bucket.
The superstar guard wasn’t the only OKC player who found success from close range. On a night when the Thunder only shot 9 for 33 from deep (27.3%), it shot 36 for 57 (63.2%) from inside the arc.
Someone finally contained Julius Randle
Randle quickly raised his hand to call for the ball late in the third quarter.
He had the smaller Williams defending him down low, and it seemed like the perfect time to go into attack mode. But, little did Randle know, he was actually the prey.
As soon as Randle received the pass, Lu Dort pounced from behind and stole the ball. That sparked an OKC fastbreak, which ended in a layup by Gilgeous-Alexander.
Randle averaged 23.9 points on 50.9% shooting from the field in Minnesota’s first two playoff rounds. He then erupted for 28 points in Game 1 against OKC on Tuesday.
But Randle struggled to get into a rhythm throughout the night in Game 2, as the Thunder matched his physicality and blitzed him with help defenders. He finished with six points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field (18.2%), and he didn’t play during the fourth quarter.
It’s hard to stop OKC when it starts rolling at home
The crowd at Paycom Center rose to its feet as Cason Wallace pushed the ball up the floor late in the third quarter.
It could sense a mixtape moment in the making, and a rumbling echoed throughout the stadium. It grew louder with every dribble by Wallace, who eventually sailed a pass in the direction of Chet Holmgren.
The 7-foot-1 big man then gave his best impression of Michael Jordan in “Space Jam,” as he stretched his arms to catch the pass for an alley-oop dunk. That sent the crowd into a frenzy, and it never seemed to die down in the third quarter.
OKC used that momentum as fuel, outscoring Minnesota 35-21 to build a 93-71 lead. The Timberwolves never recovered.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points and eight assists. Williams added 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Holmgren chipped in 22 points and four rebounds.
Game 3 is set for 7:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Minneapolis.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @JTheSportsDude. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.