Oklahoma City Thunder Players in Oklahoma City celebrates after the game 5 of the final of the Western Conference of NBA Basketball Playoffs, in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. (AP Photo/NAT Billings)<div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible"><div class="fig-credit">Thunder players and coaches celebrate after Game 5 of their Western Conference finals victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)</div><span class="caption-credit"> (ASSOCIATED PRESS)</span></div>

Oklahoma City – Forty -minute hell was considered a college basketball mantra, and had long gone – but Oklahoma City Thunder remixed it.

Sometimes it is five minutes, perhaps 10. Just a stretch in which they turn opponents into stumble, bubbling, unqualified strangers. They can barely get a shot, give an entry pass alone.

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And with the opportunity of the franchise smell, the chance to get a berth in the NBA final, Dribbling became a barrier course. And he lasted five- or 10 minutes of stretch for half.

Oklahoma City Thunder ended the disintegration of the Western Conference with a certain game 5 whipping of Minnesota Timberwells at the Pekom Center on Wednesday night.

The NBA final begins in Oklahoma City next Thursday, where the Thunder will take the winner of the New York Nixiana Pesar series.

If it is pacers, it will be a beautiful opposite in styles, as the fast pace of Indiana has worn every team in its way. If it is nix, they will battle and hurt because it means they have done a miracle in coming back from a loss of 3–1.

Thunder players and coaches celebrate on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Oklahoma City after game 5 of their western conference on Minnesota Timberwells. (AP Photo/NAT Billings)

(associated Press)

Either way, thunder is a large -scale favorite to win the first championship in OKC history, even though it has come soon with expectation.

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But he showed an seriousness, a business-like approach to these playoffs, the West final is the game 3 in the loan slip-up miniapolis. Timberwells released issues all night in Game 5, as they had the first two matches of the series, which also had blowouts.

The league’s most valuable player Shai Gilgus-Alexander added another MVP in his trophy case with the Magic Johnson Trophy for the Western Conference Final MVP with 34 points, eight assistance and seven rebels.

He scored or assisted at the first 13 points of the game as the result was never in doubt beyond the first few minutes.

“I did not want to go back to Minnesota, travel-wise. And then I wanted the fans to be able to enjoy this moment with us,” Gilgus-Alexander said, which assists 31.4 points, 8.2 and steals 1.8 in the playoffs. “To see it with your eyes, celebrate it in our building tonight. Go home, drunk or whatever.”

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There was a tone of “he is going to be hell to deal with hell in two years” – kicking Can on the street because OKC players were so young and inexperienced, and Thunder’s Working Vice President Sam. Presty has a treasure of future draft pics at his disposal to strengthen the roster.

Perhaps this plan was to use those pics and package players for superstars, if it was not to go into luxury to the stomach in ownership – which, to be fair, there is no indication that there is no indication.

Thunder’s offsen additions were not largely, but Alex Caruso was included in Josh Giddani Swap and Yashayah Hartenstein was tied to loose loops for a team to sign a free agency that was ready to compete. Thunders were ready to dominate.

Timberwells star Anthony Edwards said that almost as Dramond Green had done in the early days of the Warriors dynasty like caruso functions, able to hound and defend big players. Caruso Julius got stuck quickly from the randers and disrupted the crime of the entire Timberwells, helping 21 turnover.

Thunder coach Mark Dignault said about the new addition, “It seemed that he was here forever.” “They are not different, but they respect the team, and they understood that this team was successful before being here, and they just climbed on a moving train and did so originally.”

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And so, that train is only gaining momentum. Even the strategic prestiped could not help, but could crack a smile as Jalen Williams had called for more noise from the Packom Center crowd as the Thunder regular was removed with five minutes and gained 34 points.

This marks his fourth 30 -digit victory in these playoffs, a record. This is added to their 68-win season and is a record amount of double-digit win, but they were not really sure that they were as good as they were visible until the game became real.

“Playoffs,” Williams said, who scored 19 runs with eight rebounds and five assistance. “Our last series against Denver, you do not have you in a regular season. I think we have grown up as a team. Many of us, this was our first game 7, was happening above the second round hump. I think it was big for us.”

It was a seven-game slugfest that could become the biggest obstacle of the thunder by the end of June. That game 7 was never in doubt, and this was the possibility of his graduation.

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“More experience, more games under our belt,” Williams said. “Just look back last year, many of us have never been in that position, maybe two of us. So just more experience.

“Most importantly, it is capable of growing through experiences and not stable. And I think that’s why we are getting a lot of great results that we are doing now.”

For Minnesota, this is its second direct journey in the West Final and the other straightforward five-game disadvantages are both in the same fashion. This is something that Edwards will have to go in summer, and unlike last year, when he claimed that he easily let his team’s five-game loss to Dallas, it would not be so easy.

This is the second straight year when the decisive game essentially ended in the first few minutes, as wolves had more turnover at half (14) than buckets (12). Last season, Luka Donic took his heart on his home floor in Game 5 to travel in the final.

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Timberwells head coach Chris Finch was confident that his team would see that he was not discouraged in losses, that there was no panic.

He did not know it at that time, but it was a resignation.

Every hot to playoff series has a point when both teams know, even subconscious, who is better team – and the series starts taking shape.

The game came in 4, when Timberwells threw everything in his opponent. They defeat the thunder in every metric except the scoreboard, and when you give your best shot on your home floor to come down only, it is a fet implementation.

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Edwards said, “They came to play, we did not.” “When you lose such a game, it is not really too much to break. They did what they were going to do.”

Nine years ago, in the day, Thunder got a chance to travel in the final against Stephen Curry and Warriors in a game 6.

Then Kail Thompson took place, and the OKC made changes – some forced, some like – who took it to this curved road, went back to the same place.

And even though Kevin Durant-Russell WestBrook team had more experience under its belt, it feels better and more complete, even though Gilgus-Alexander does not feel that there is no comparison between the two, that it is just a coincidence.

But this team did not mess up all around and did not give any hope to its opponent, and now it is four win and more hell to go.

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