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The Oklahoma City Thunder are heavy favorites as they play host to Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday, however they’ll be going through a well-rested Minnesota Timberwolves workforce.
While the Thunder are recent off a Game 7 victory towards Denver on Sunday, the Timberwolves have not performed since getting rid of Golden State six days in the past.
ODDS & TRENDS
The Thunder are consensus 7.5-point favorites. That comprises at BetRivers, the place the Timberwolves were a well-liked underdog with 67 % of the tickets and 69 % of the cash backing them to hide.
The Over at the 216.5-point overall bets line has drawn 92 % of the cash. That’s regardless of each and every of Minnesota’s previous 4 playoff video games the place they entered because the underdog going below the full issues line.
PROP PICKS
–Alex Caruso 2+ 3-Point FGs Made (+110 at BetRivers): Caruso has tired a minimum of two three-pointers in 4 of the Thunder’s previous 5 video games. He provides an much more tantalizing payout at +280 to hit 3 or extra on Tuesday night time.
–Julius Randle Over 19.5 Points (-125 at DraftKings): Randle is coming off a 29-point effort in Minnesota’s Game 5 victory over Golden State, and averaged 25.2 issues for the collection. That’s after averaging 22.6 issues towards the Lakers within the earlier collection, and Randle has scored 20-plus issues in 8 of 10 playoff video games.
PLAYOFF HISTORY
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 NBA Finals look since 2012.
FEELING DEFENSIVE
The collection options two of the NBA’s best defenses, each right through the common season and within the playoffs.
The Thunder boast a 101.6 defensive score — issues allowed in keeping with 100 possessions — in 11 playoff video games, easiest this postseason. Minnesota’s 106.8 defensive score is 2d.
NEW ERA OF STARS
The matchup 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 towards cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker of Minnesota.
The two gamers had 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 looking to take his head off needless to say.”
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, arduous paintings, seeing it firsthand and self-discipline that in truth I have never noticed in any one else,” Alexander-Walker said. “I’ve now not noticed self-discipline like his. So I believe that is the primary explanation why other people suppose he is made a soar when in reality he is simply been in a position to be persistently that, as a result of he is been so disciplined in his way.”
SEASON SERIES
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 have no idea if the ones video games are the very best framework in which to have a look at the collection,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’ll be other.”
PREDICTION
The Timberwolves have covered the spread in 16 of their past 17 games as an underdog when playing with a rest advantage, according to BetRivers. So, while Minnesota will be hard-pressed to pull a massive road upset in Game 1, don’t be surprised to see them cover. –Thunder 116, Timberwolves 110
–Field Level Media
