The Oklahoma City Thunder made history in the opening half of Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference.
Their relentless defense held the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 31.6% shooting in the first half en route to a 65-32 halftime lead.
The 33-point difference is their largest halftime lead in franchise playoff history, per ESPN.
Oklahoma City’s Big Three were all firing on all cylinders.
Newly minted NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren added 15 points apiece after the first two quarters.
But Alex Caruso also deserves credit as his lockdown defensive play continues to anchor the Thunder’s magnificent defense in this postseason run. Caurso had three of the Thunder’s nine steals in the first half. The defensive ace also scored eight points.
They forced the Timberwolves to have more turnovers (14) than made field goals (12).
Minnesota stars Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have combined for 17 of their team’s 32 points but Edwards was only 3-for-10 from the field while Randle missed four of his seven attempts.
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins did not mince words as he roasted the Timberwolves for their atrocious first half in an elimination game.
“Them dogs were not playing,” Perkins said of the Timberwolves. “I knew rabbits, I knew ducks, I knew anything, deer could get hunted. I didn’t know wolves could be hunted the way that they’re getting hunted today.”
“What did OKC do, they got on their heels like a fresh pair of church socks…I knew rabbits, I knew ducks, I knew anything, deer could get hunted. I didn’t know wolves could be hunted the way that they’re getting hunted.”
Kendrick Perkins on OKC dominating the Timberwolves. pic.twitter.com/sQor2VAEyd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 29, 2025
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Chris Finch Frustrated Over Timberwolves’ Poor Start
Getty Chris Finch shows frustration over the Minnesota Timberwolves’ poor start in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference Finals.
Oklahoma City’s great start had frustrated Minnesota coach Chris Finch, who received a technical foul late in the first quarter.
The Thunder held the Timberwolves to a season-low nine points in the opening quarter.
“[Thunder] will test you mentally,” Doris Burke said on the ESPN broadcast. “You’ve got to have some endurance. And already, you see some signs of frustration from Minnesota. They’ve got to keep their composure.”
The Thunder held the Timberwolves to 3-for-20 shooting in the first quarter as they took a commanding 26-9 lead. They are looking to close out the Timberwolves and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
The Timberwolves had more turnovers (4) than made field goals (3) in the opening quarter. Edwards scored six points on 2-for-5 shooting, while the rest of the Timberwolves were a woeful 1-for-15 shooting for only three points.
Only 13 teams have successfully come back from a 3-1 series deficit in the history of the NBA playoffs. Teams with a 3-1 lead have gone on to win the series 95.6% of the time.
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