OKC Trio Leads Thunder to Game 2 Win Over Minnesota

What was kicked off by a celebration ceremony for the 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended in even more triumph, with the Oklahoma City Thunder earning a 118-103 Game 2 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shots were falling from every possible direction to kick this battle off, especially for Oklahoma City's star pairing of Gilgeous-Alexander and forward Jalen Williams. Both players got off to near-perfect starts, combining for over half of their team's opening-game points.

Minnesota, and specifically Anthony Edwards, looked much more aggressive on offense, which was part of their downfall in Game 1. Still, OKC's defense began by holding strong in the paint, getting off to a 29-25 first-quarter lead.

Edwards looked much improved from Game 1. His first and fourth quarters were excellent, ending the night with 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting. He struggled from the perimeter, going 1-for-9, but still found ways to score, especially by attacking the rim

In a similar fashion to Game 1 for the Timberwolves, a high volume of three-point shots wasn't exactly helping them out. They went 11-for-39 on the night, which was slightly worse than Game 1. The Thunder weren't much better, however. They went 9-for-33 from the perimeter, which has been an area of struggle throughout all of the playoffs.

The score balanced out in Minnesota's favor as Edwards and forward Jaden McDaniels continued to get going. On the flip side, Gilgeous-Alexander also found his rhythm in the mid-range, scoring his team's last 11 points to end the second half. Oklahoma City went into the locker room with a 58-50 lead, all on the back of Gilgeous-Alexander.

Minnesota got out to a quick start, closing their deficit right away. Big man Rudy Gobert was a small part of that, helping to clean up the offensive glass. Hustle plays from McDaniels also helped make it closer.

Williams wasn't lacking any confidence and helped the Thunder gain momentum quickly after that early Timberwolves run. Williams finished with 26 points on 12-for-20 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and five assists to round out another impressive performance.

Neither was OKC's MVP winner. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with an impressive 38 points and eight assists, going 12-for-21 from the field and 13-for-15 from the free-throw line.

Similarly to Game 1, OKC used the end of the third quarter to mount a run and put Minnesota in a hole. Their defense tightened up to create harder looks for the Timberwolves and force two quick turnovers, creating a 17-point lead. A bucket from Edwards late in the quarter ended a scoreless run, but the Thunder closed the half on a 10-2 run to generate a 93-71 lead heading into the final quarter.

The third part of the star trio for OKC also had an excellent game, building on his Game 1 outing. Forward Chet Holmgren finished with 22 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Despite going 1-for-6 from the 3-point line, he threw down some dunks at important moments of the game to build momentum.

Minnesota came out swinging again at the beginning of the fourth quarter, getting their deficit down to 13 points. A Flagrant 1 foul on Gilgeous-Alexander, handed out by McDaniels of Minnesota, appeared to destroy any chance the Timberwolves had at winning, but Edwards started to come alive to keep his team in the game.

Bench guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker was also a difference maker in the fourth quarter. He finished the quarter with 11 points, which got him to 17 by the end of the game. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, it wouldn't be enough.

A made triple from Williams, four points from Gilgeous-Alexander and a layup from Holmgren were enough to seal the deal for OKC. The stars shone for the Thunder in the biggest moments of the game to help earn the win.

The series now flips to Minnesota for Game 3, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 24.