Five things to watch for ahead of Game 1 of Timberwolves vs. Thunder

When the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder begin play in the Western Conference finals Tuesday in Oklahoma City, the matchup figures in many ways to be a battle of strength on strength.

Both teams have depth, star power and size. A lot of the series could simply come down to which team executes better and makes more shots.

But there are also some more subtle things to keep an eye on once things tip off at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and throughout the series.

Here are five things to watch for in this series:

Can the Wolves keep from fouling OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (and keep their cool if he gets a few questionable whistles)?

This is a big one. Gilgeous-Alexander, the presumed league MVP this season for the 68-14 Thunder, made almost 100 more free throws than any other player in the league during the regular season. The frustration of dealing with Oklahoma City’s physical defense contrasted against SGA’s ability to get to the line boiled over in a media session with Wolves coach Chris Finch after a game against the Thunder earlier this season. “You can’t really touch Shai,” he said. Full clip:

Can the Wolves get more consistent bench scoring than they have in the first two rounds?

The superstar matchup between Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards will get a lot of headlines, and deservedly so. They are two of the young stars in the league, and they will be tested more than they have to this point in the playoffs by both the magnitude of the series and the defenses they will face.

But a lot of this series will likely come down to role players. The Wolves’ first three (and often only three) players off the bench are Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (cousin of Shai, in a fun subplot). Those three averaged close to 35 points per game in the regular season, but that has dipped to about 25 in the playoffs. DiVincenzo and Alexander-Walker, in particular, must shoot the ball better than they did in the first two rounds — something Chris Hine talked about in breaking down the series on Tuesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.

Will Oklahoma City get out and run, or can the Wolves limit turnovers while dictating the pace?

The Thunder are an aggressive defensive team (too much so for Finch’s tastes, as noted) and their defense fuels their offense. OKC opponents turned the ball over an average of 17 times per game during the regular season, most in the NBA. A Wolves weakness at times is sloppiness with the ball. They got away with it against an overmatched, Steph Curry-less Warriors team last round. They likely can’t survive a deluge of turnovers against Oklahoma City. They will want to slow things down and play a composed half-court game.

Can the Wolves use their edge in playoff experience to their advantage?

Imagining the Wolves as the more seasoned team in a playoff series is a new thing, particularly in comparison to some of the veteran-laden teams they have faced during during back-to-back postseason runs. But this is their fourth straight year in the playoffs, and they have built up repetitions, scars and triumphs that the Thunder are still acquiring. OKC looked particularly vulnerable during important closing stretches of a grueling seven-game series against Denver. The Wolves might find an edge in the final minutes of games, and they will probably need to use it to win the series.

Will fatigue or rust be the Game 1 deciding factor?

As noted, the Thunder are coming off a seven-game series that just ended Sunday. The Wolves, meanwhile, have been resting since last Wednesday after closing out Golden State in five. This is the same scenario the Wolves faced before the Warriors series, having won in five over the Lakers while Golden State went the distance to beat Houston, and Minnesota came out flat with poor shooting in a Game 1 loss to the Warriors. Can the Wolves come out sharper this time around in a series where there is less margin for error? Will physical and/or mental fatigue play a role for Oklahoma City?

We’ll find out Tuesday night.