Cousins, Clutch, and Control: OKC Inches Closer to the Conference Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Game 4 determined to bounce back after a humiliating 42-point loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. And bounce back they did—grabbing a 3-1 series lead with a thrilling 128-126 win.

Cousins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way for their respective teams. Shai delivered a stellar performance with 40 points and 10 assists, notching a double-double, while Nickeil contributed 23 points for Minnesota. When asked about his cousin leading the Wolves back, Shai said, “He was close to it. He had a hell of a game tonight,” before adding praise for his teammates: “They were amazing tonight. They were not rattled by the moment.”

Jalen Williams also came up big for OKC, shooting 13-of-24 from the field—including six threes—to finish with 34 points. Big man Chet Holmgren added 21 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting night, giving the Thunder a strong presence in the paint and from midrange.

Each time the Timberwolves threatened to close the gap, it seemed Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, or Holmgren had an answer.

Despite recording eight more assists (30), Minnesota was undone by 21 turnovers—seven more than the Thunder. The game came down to the wire, and with just 0.3 seconds remaining, Jalen Williams sealed the win by intercepting the Wolves’ final inbounds pass.

Anthony Edwards struggled, scoring 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Donte DiVincenzo came off the bench, like Alexander-Walker, and added 21 points for the Wolves. Edwards said when asked about his performance, “they did not let me get that many shots off tonight.”

Now down 3-1, the Timberwolves head back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday needing a win to stay alive. Last year, they fell in the Western Conference Finals 1-4 to Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks. If they hope to avoid a repeat, Edwards will have to step up. Meanwhile, history is on OKC’s side—they’ve won 11 of 12 series when holding a 3-1 lead.