Game 1 Preview: Timberwolves vs. Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are entering Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals as the clear favorites against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a dominant 64–18 regular season and a strong playoff performance, OKC has been one of the league’s most balanced and defensively sound teams. Led by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder bring depth, versatility, and home-court advantage into this matchup.
The Timberwolves, on the other hand, come in battle-tested. They’ve taken down the Lakers, Warriors, and survived a tough seven-game series against the defending champion Nuggets. Their elite defense, anchored by Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, has been a cornerstone of their success. Offensively, Anthony Edwards continues to rise as a star, while Julius Randle adds scoring punch in the frontcourt.
Oddsmakers have the Thunder favored by 7.5 points, and most analysts are predicting an OKC win in Game 1—and likely the series in six games. Still, if Minnesota can control turnovers and take advantage of OKC’s relatively thin interior defense, they could make this opener much more competitive than expected.
