Thunder's depth overwhelms Timberwolves with big second half in Game 1

The Thunder rode a 17-2 third quarter run to a dominant second half where they scored 70 points on 62 percent shooting, turning a game where they trailed at halftime into a comfortable blowout victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points and nine assists, but it was a full-squad victory for the Thunder.

Jalen Williams scored 19 points and collected eight rebounds, finishing with five assists and five steals. Chet Holmgren did his damage inside, scoring 15 points on nine shots with two blocks. Six different Thunder players had steals, including all five starters, as OKC forced 19 turnovers, which led 31 points for the Thunder.

In the second half, the Thunder got huge contributions for players who mostly sat in their second-round series with the Denver Nuggets. Third-string center Kenrich Williams was +19 in just nine minutes, stymying Naz Reid and Julius Randle on defense and making all three of his shots, two of them from deep. Second-year guard Cason Wallace played 33 minutes and delivered seven assists. He barely scored, finishing with three points, but his defense and ball distribution helped him to a +21 plus/minus.

The waves of Thunder players seem to wear down the Timberwolves. Jaden McDaniels scored the first five points of the game, then only scored two the rest of the way, fouling out in the final quarter. Julius Randle had 20 points at halftime, then only eight afterward. Anthony Edwards disappeared down the stretch, perhaps feeling the effects of a first-half ankle injury, going scoreless in the fourth.

Rudy Gobert committed two early fouls and was limited to 21 minutes, where he was only able to collect three rebounds. Reid, DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined to shoot 5-of-28 on three-pointers. Some of that was bad luck, but much of that was the Timberwolves' reluctance to drive on the Thunder. They shot 51 threes, 61 percent of their field-goal attempts.

If the Timberwolves want to get back in the series, their reserves need to play like starters. Otherwise the deep Thunder will bury them in waves of talented backups.