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The Oklahoma City Thunder had numerous day off forward in their first two playoff collection.
Now, within the Western Conference finals in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’ll be the Thunder who come into the collection on quick relaxation whilst their opponent has a lot more time to recuperate.
The collection starts Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder are coming off a 125-93 win over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday in Game 7 in their second-round collection.
The Timberwolves have not performed in six days after final out the Golden State Warriors in 5 video games.
Oklahoma City had one week between video games prior to its first-round collection in opposition to Memphis after which 9 days between video games prior to the collection in opposition to the Nuggets.
In the primary around, the Thunder opened with a 51-point win over the Grizzlies, however dropped Game 1 to Denver after fading past due.
Minnesota had a six-day layoff prior to every of its first two collection, profitable Game 1 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and shedding Game 1 to Golden State. The Timberwolves received every collection in 5 video games.
The Timberwolves are within the convention finals for the second one consecutive season and the 3rd time of their historical past. Minnesota hasn’t ever complicated to the NBA Finals.
Oklahoma City is within the Western Conference finals for the primary time since 2016 and in search of its first finals look since 2012.
The collection options two of the NBA’s best defenses, each all over the common season and within the playoffs.
The Thunder boast a 101.6 defensive ranking — issues allowed in step with 100 possessions — in 11 playoff video games, absolute best this postseason. Minnesota’s 106.8 defensive ranking is moment.
It additionally options two of the league’s best younger stars in Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.0 issues, 6.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds this postseason whilst Edwards is averaging 26.5 issues, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the front-runner for Most Valuable Player honors, is taking a look ahead to the matchup in opposition to cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Minnesota.
The two gamers have been born not up to two months aside in Toronto and each attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“It’ll be very fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “It’s hard to even explain. If you know how close we are, he’s literally like my second brother. He’s been through every stage of life with me — picking up a basketball to going to prep school to making the NBA, we’ve gone through every situation together. For both of us to be where we are is special, to compete against each other even more special.
“But I’m seeking to take his head off evidently.”
In a 2023 play-in game, Alexander-Walker helped hold his cousin to a 5-of-19 shooting night.
Alexander-Walker said Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency has lifted him to a different echelon.
“That comes from diligence, exhausting paintings, seeing it first hand and self-discipline that in truth I have not noticed in any one else,” Alexander-Walker said. “I’ve now not noticed self-discipline like his. So I feel that is the major explanation why other people assume he is made a soar when in point of fact he is simply been in a position to be persistently that, as a result of he is been so disciplined in his means.”
The teams split their four-game season series and split their two games in Oklahoma City.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert played in just one of those games — a New Year’s Eve loss — while Chet Holmgren appeared in two of the games for the Thunder.
“Apples to apples, I do not know if the ones video games are the very best framework in which to take a look at the collection,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’ll be other.”
–Field Level Media
