Three stars from Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals

When the Thunder took command of the game in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander had two rebounds, three assists and 12 points, which included two and-ones.

While Gilgeous-Alexander was 0-for-4 from behind the arc, his pressure on the defense opened up shots for his teammates, who shot 11-for-17. That's only four fewer triples than the Timberwolves, who attempted 30 more threes. Plus, it doesn't matter if you miss three-pointers if you convert three three-point plays.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams | 19 points, eight rebounds, five steals

The Thunder shot below 40%, shot only 3-for-8 on three-pointers and turned the ball over eight times in the first half. They stayed close largely because of Jalen Williams' opportunistic defense, where he collected four steals. He also delivered some very nice lobs.

Williams may have been even more effective on his drives than Gilgeous-Alexander, regularly finishing with both power and finesse.

The Thunder's other All-Star came through big Tuesday night. And even though he was responsible for at least five Timberwolves turnovers, he didn't commit a single one of his own.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso | Nine points, three rebounds, three 3PM

It was tempting to give the third slot to Julius Randle, who made a career playoff-high five threes, all before halftime and finished with 28 points and eight rebounds.

But it was Caruso who was again a game-changer for the Thunder in the playoffs. Fresh off guarding Nikola Jokic in the second round, Caruso helped guard the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Randle, who didn't score until 14 minutes into the second half. When he wasn't checking Randle, Caruso was making Anthony Edwards' life hell.

Not only did Caruso help the Thunder play small and keep three-point shooters on the floor, he made threes himself, going a perfect 3-for-3 behind the arc. For a player who rarely held the ball for more than two seconds, Caruso made a huge impact on the Thunder taking a 1-0 lead.