OKC Thunder Defense Was Too Much to Handle in Game 5 for Timberwolves

Just about everything went perfectly for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, one where they blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves en route to a NBA Finals appearance. That being said, the work the whole team put in on the defensive side of the ball might have been more impressive than anything else.

The most glaring number of all to back that up is the 21 turnovers they forced. Most of that defensive pressure came from OKC's guards, forcing Minnesota's guards into too many bad decisions to count. Some of Minnesota's best players had turnover issues all night, including star guard Anthony Edwards.

Edwards finished the game with three turnovers, but struggled to score the ball in general. He did finish with 19 points, but it came on 7-for-18 shooting and 1-for-7 from three. It looked like Edwards was never comfortable on offense, especially with wings Lu Dort and Jalen Williams defending him. The physicality of both was a challenge for Edwards all series long and that showed in what ended up being the final one.

He wasn't the only one who struggled with turning the ball over. Big men Julius Randle and Naz Reid combined for eight turnovers, with Reid leading the entire team with five. That was thanks to more intense ball pressure and passing-lane jumps from Thunder guards, again creating a level of uncomfortability for everyone.

The defensive pressure was evident in the early stages of the game. Dort opened the game by picking Edwards up full-court, which set the tone right away. The double teams they sent at Edwards, despite being something he is used to, also clearly made him uncomfortable.

The steal counts for various Thunder players were also quite impressive. Bench guard and defensive mastermind Alex Caruso led Oklahoma City with four steals, followed by Dort with three and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein with two apiece.

Some teams end their opponents with three-point shooting or physicality, but it's clear that the Thunder has do with their defensive intensity. In their Game 5 win, the Thunder showed why they can be so hard to beat when their playing at their best on defense. That energy and intensity absolutely can not fall off once the finals roll around, because their future opponent will be looking to take advantage of it.

Oklahoma City will take on either the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, starting on June 5 in Oklahoma City. The Pacers have an opportunity to book their ticket at 7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday night to do so.