Thunders Masterful Deception: How OKC Lured Timberwolves into a False Sense of Security in Game 1

The Oklahoma City Thunder once again demonstrated their ability to lull opponents into a false sense of security before delivering a devastating blow in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. In Game 1, the Thunder showed their mastery of manipulation, leading the Timberwolves to believe they had a good feel for their opponent, even though the two teams hadn't seen each other since February. However, the Thunder's second half execution was picture-perfect, as they outscored the Timberwolves 70-40 to secure a resounding 114-88 victory at Paycom Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was head and shoulders above the crowd, leading the Thunder with 31 points, 9 assists, and 14 free-throw attempts. The Timberwolves were on high alert about their turnovers and how the Thunder thrive in the open floor. They were also aware of Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to get to the line and initiate contact, but they still fell right into all of it. The Thunder amassed 68 wins without a superteam, and with their second-best player missing considerable time with injury when Chet Holmgren went down with a hip injury early in the season. Despite leading by four at the half, largely on the back of Julius Randle going nuclear from 3-point range (5 of 6 as part of 20 total points), the Thunder were able to turn the game around in the second half. The Timberwolves found themselves giving up the equivalent of pick-sixes - turnovers immediately leading to scores on the other end - and their premier defenders encountered foul trouble. The Timberwolves were almost spooked, flinching and looking for defenders who weren’t there. Over 60 percent of their shot attempts came from 3, a whopping 51 heaves that led to their demise. Dribbling the ball into all those long arms and limbs seemed like something negative was inevitable, and it seemed to play into their minds. "I had no clue what they were thinking," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We just try to play to our identity. We try to play to our plan defensively and it gave us life early in the game." Randle kept his turnovers down in his tour de force against the Golden State Warriors but he had five while Anthony Edwards had four. Each took just 13 shots, and the Timberwolves shot a ghastly 34.9% from the field and 29.4% from 3. The Timberwolves' subs Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker shot 44 and 46% from the 3-point line, respectively, in the Warriors series. They, combined with Donte DiVincenzo, shot 5 for 28 (17.8%) from deep in Game 1. "Our defense was a huge catalyst," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "The turnovers are never... that’s not what we talk about. We talked about being aggressive in our help. That tends to yield turnovers when we really have that going, but it also yields tough shots, and so that's what we're trying to do."