The Timberwolves found some answers on offense int he first half of Game 1 as Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle both got off to hit starts. However, the elite Thunder defense shut both of them down after halftime as they ran away with the win.

Chris Finch's men had developed a dominant interior presence, which was on full display when they scored 72 paint points against the Warriors in the series-clinching Game 5 last week. All that changed when they ran into the Thunder in Tuesday's Game 1.

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves limited OKC Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 10-for-27 shooting on Tuesday.

The Timberwolves' defense focused more on Randle ... ability to lull opponents into diving headfirst into suboptimal strategy, and that was on display Tuesday night as the Timberwolves shot ...

Mike Conley has given the Timberwolves a much-needed defensive identity during their playoff run. Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic Mike Conley has shaped the Timberwolves’ defense into one of the league’s best.

The Thunder have the unique ability to lull opponents into diving headfirst into suboptimal strategy, and that was on display Tuesday night as the Timberwolves shot 29.4% on 51 3-point attempts.

In the 2024-25 season, the Thunder conquered the top seed in the Western Conference. And since then, they've followed through in the playoffs by clinching an appearance at the Western Conference Finals. While a lot of the credit goes to a MVP-worthy season by SGA, a lot of their success also hinges on defense.

The Lakers have been showing early help on Edwards’ isolations from the wings or the middle of the floor, clogging his driving lanes to prevent him from getting to the rim if he gets by his