Jan 12, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Georges Niang (20) battle for the ball during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Ex-Sixers Forward Gives High Praise to OKC Thunder After Game 1 Win

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated May 22, 2025 6:52 PM ET

Heading into the postseason, former Philadelphia 76ers forward Georges Niang found himself on a squad with championship aspirations. Following a premature exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, he is now speaking on playoff action in a different capacity.

On Wednesday morning, Niang was a guest on the Run It Back show, where he spoke on a variety of topics across the league. Among the main things the panel discussed on the show was the first game of the Western Conference finals between the OKC Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Early on in the game, Anthony Edwards and company looked like they were going to strike first in the series. However, the momentum completely shifted at halftime. Thanks to a strong second-half surge, the Thunder walked out with a 114-88 victory to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

While giving his insights on the game, Niang praised the Thunder's work on the defensive end. He feels they did a good job wearing Minnesota down as the matchup wore on.

"I think over a course of a game OKC's defense just wears you out," Niang said. "Over the course of the game, the Timberwolves just started taking bad shots...As you saw OKC's defense was just smothering."

OKC's defense wore the Timberwolves out!

"Anthony Edwards said the Thunder are like an AAU defense, and it's true." @GeorgesNiang20 | @ChandlerParsons | @MichelleDBeadle pic.twitter.com/kyJIZDDdGz
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 21, 2025

Defense is something the Thunder have built their philosophy on this season, and every player has bought in. With guys like Alex Caruso and Lu Dort on the perimeter and Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein down low, OKC makes life difficult for opposing offenses on a nightly basis.

As the series drags on, the Thunder are going to look to keep wearing the Timberwolves down as they attempt to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. They'll have another chance to do so Thursday night in Game 2.