Timberwolves challenge Thunder for exactly one half in Western Conference finals opener

OKLAHOMA CITY – As he returned to his locker following the Timberwolves’ 114-88 loss Tuesday to the Thunder, Naz Reid matter-of-factly stated how his night went without much emotion in his voice.

“Wide-open shots,” he said. “Bricked ‘em.”

A fitting summation for his team as a whole in a game that took place just steps away from Oklahoma City’s famed Bricktown bar and entertainment district.

“Just a rough night,” Reid said. “I don’t remember the last time I shot like that. It comes and goes.”

Reid wasn’t the only one brickin’ ‘em Tuesday. He was 1-for-11, but Donte DiVincenzo was 3-for-14, Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3-for-11 and Mike Conley 2-for-8 as the Wolves missed plenty of shots, both those that were open looks and those the Thunder’s headache-inducing defense forced.

After surviving the first half ahead by four on the back of 20 of Julius Randle’s 28 points, the Wolves disintegrated in the second half on offense, and that made their defense a step slow at the other end. The Thunder crushed them 70-40 in the final 24 minutes to take a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals with Game 2 on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

“We were making it really tough on ourselves,” Conley said. “The way that they can pressure the ball, the way that they can get into you physically, you need to try to make the game as simple as possible, and we weren’t able to take advantage of it.”

The other problem was the Wolves committed 19 turnovers, a major no-no against a Thunder team that senses blood and attacks the way a vampire might. Those 19 turnovers turned into 31 points for Oklahoma City, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 31 points and nine assists.

“We definitely need to find a rhythm in this series,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “Every series is a little bit different in how people guard you and whatnot. I thought we came out and tried to play the same way we always did, and that wasn’t going to work tonight. We’ve got to figure out a different rhythm to play.”

There was predictable frustration with the whistle Gilgeous-Alexander was getting, especially as Jaden McDaniels fouled out with 5 minutes, 21 seconds to play. Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free-throw line for 11 of his points as the Wolves held him to 10-for-27 shooting from the floor. Finch didn’t take the bait when asked afterward about the calls Gilgeous-Alexander was getting.

“We talked about that before the series started. We have to be able to put that to the side and get on with a next-play mentality,” Finch said.

That’s because that generous whistle wasn’t why the Wolves lost. The Wolves scored just 20 points in the paint as the Thunder dared them to beat them from the outside. It was a prudent gamble as the Wolves rushed and clanked shot after shot. They were 15-for-51 from three-point range (29%). Oklahoma City focused on Anthony Edwards and Randle in the second half and limited their shots. Randle had just eight points after halftime; Edwards had 18 points in the game on just 5-for-13 shooting.

“I definitely got to shoot more,” Edwards said. “I only took 13 … shots. ... Just get off the ball a little more, play without the ball. I think that will be the answer. Because playing on the ball, they’re just going to double and sit in the gaps all day. So, got to go watch some film and pick it apart. We’ll figure it out.”

That last sentence is where a lot of the Wolves were after this game. It wasn’t a forlorn locker room; there was no sense that the Thunder were an unsolvable puzzle. Much like after Game 1 against the Warriors, when the Wolves missed a lot of shots, they feel like they will regroup before Game 2.

“They were getting the shots they wanted in the second half, and the first half we were making them take the shots we wanted,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s what changed in the second half. Everybody feels great in here. There’s no heads down or nothing. They’re great players, a great team.”

The Thunder shot 50% and made 11 of their 21 threes. Jalen Williams had 19 points while Minnehaha Academy’s Chet Holmgren had 15. Early foul trouble limited Rudy Gobert to two points, three rebounds. No Wolves players aside from Edwards and Randle reached double figures, and no other player hit more than three field goals.

“It’s just being crisp. Just doing things with a little more energy,” Conley said. “Not letting their pressure affect the way that we’re running our offense. They’re trying to extend their pressure … [near] halfcourt. Trying to make the floor and the spacing odd for your plays. If we can just be more assertive on that end, get the ball to spots where you need it to so we can start running our actions with some pace.”

After the Wolves’ first loss of the playoffs against the Lakers, Edwards said Los Angeles’ defense confused him, but he soon figured it out. Against the Warriors, he felt like he knew what adjustments to make after Game 1. Where did he stand after this game?

“I feel great,” he said with a smile. “They just sit in the gaps and double-team all day. So I should be all right. Play without the ball a little more, get a little more cardio in. I should be good.”