Player grades: Big 3 power Thunder past Timberwolves in 128-126 Game 4 win

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May 27, 2025 - 12:00
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Player grades: Big 3 power Thunder past Timberwolves in 128-126 Game 4 win

May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8), forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talk to the media after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

MINNEAPOLIS — As each player walked through the tunnel, Sam Presti was parked near the road locker room. He clapped his hands and offered fist bumps to every member on the roster. The usually stoic OKC GM showed a rare glimpse of emotion after a thriller that pushed his squad to the closest it's been to an NBA Finals trip in nearly a decade.

The Oklahoma City Thunder survived a thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 128-126 Game 4 win. After the ship was shaken a little bit with a historic Game 3 loss, OKC is right back in control of the Western Conference Finals with a 3-1 series lead.

Talk about a gutsy win. As many expected, it was the most entertaining game of the series yet. A lot was on the line. OKC wanted to deliver a fatal blow while Minnesota tried to even the series and fly back with all the momentum. The back-and-forth affair saw neither team lead by more than 11 points.

The Thunder got off to a much better start. After dealing with some Game 4 sleepiness, they were wide awake and filled with caffeine this time. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams both set the tone with loud opening quarters. They scored 13 points respectively and led OKC to a 37-30 lead.

Both teams played with the same flow in the second quarter. Every time it felt like the Thunder would burst open an overwhelming run, the Timberwolves answered back with timely outside buckets. Minnesota's role player stepped up in the comfort of their gym.

The Thunder entered halftime with a 65-57 lead. Not the biggest lead, but also not bad. Still, they left the door open just enough for the Timberwolves to have hope. That came back to bite OKC at the start of the second half. Nine straight points helped Minnesota climb back. Back-to-back corner 3-pointers by Donte DiVincenzo tied it up at 79 points apiece.

Just like that, brand new ball game. Everybody in OKC and Minnesota risked their heart health. A Western Conference Finals game that can swing a series is the type of circumstance that will stress anybody out just by reading that sentence. Much less actually experiencing it.

The Timberwolves scored 28 points in the third frame. The Thunder's lead was cut to 90-85 after three quarters. While OKC enjoyed a 20-plus shot-attempt advantage, Minnesota's hot outside shooting kept it within striking distance.

Both teams exchanged buckets the rest of the way. Nobody could sit down in their seat. Whether at Target Center or bar or their living room. Every time Williams or Gilgeous-Alexander hit a timely bucket, a Minnesota role player would answer.

The Timberwolves were as close as two points. Jaden McDaniel's 3-pointer made it a 111-109 score with a little over four minutes left. Clutch time. Every viewer likely received an Apple Watch notification about their stress level around this juncture.

After that outside bucket, the Thunder created a cushion with a 118-111 lead as only a little over two minutes were left. The Timberwolves couldn't erase the deficit. Anthony Edwards became too passive and Minnesota's role players couldn't hit on outside shots.

The Timberwolves made it interesting in the final seconds. The intentional foul game almost bit the Thunder again in these playoffs. Gilgeous-Alexander split a pair of free throws to make it a three-point lead with eight seconds left. But OKC fouled Minnesota to keep a distance. One final chance of a miraculous tie was ruined when Williams intercepted an attempted lob to Rudy Gobert.

Phew. Talk about a series-defining win. The Thunder edged out the Timberwolves and left the Minnesota crowd in shock and annoyance. Meanwhile, OKC gutted out one of its most impressive wins of the season to be on the doorstep of an NBA Finals trip.

The Thunder shot 51% from the field and went 16-of-37 (43.2%) from 3. They shot 16-of-21 on free throws. They had 22 assists on 48 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Gilgeous-Alexander had an efficient 40 points. Williams stepped up with 34 points. Chet Holmgren also had 21 points. The Thunder's Big 3 stepped up once again. Alex Caruso scored 10 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves shot 51% from the field and went 18-of-41 (43.9%) from 3. They shot 22-of-28 on free throws. They had 30 assists on 43 baskets. Six Timberwolves players scored double-digit points.

One of them wasn't Edwards. He had a quiet 16 points and six assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 23 points, McDaniels had 22 points and DiVincenzo had 21 points. Rudy Gobert tallied 13 points and nine rebounds while Naz Reid scored 11 points.

If the Thunder clinch the Western Conference Finals, this will be the decisive game that shows how the series played out. The old saying goes that a playoff series doesn't start until the road team ends. But in this case, that might be the series-killer.

While the defense wasn't at a championship-level, the Thunder relied on otherworldly shot-making by their star trio to outlast the Timberwolves' hot outside shooting. The first seed has shown it can win in different ways throughout the season. A video-game-esque contest is the latest example.

Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus

May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7), guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) react after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Sent to the free-throw line multiple times in the final seconds, Gilgeous-Alexander was as cool as The Terminator. Drowned in "merchant" chants and booes, the MVP didn't care he was the most hated man in the packed building. He was ice cold and knocked down his attempts to seal the result.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 40 points on 13-of-30 shooting, 10 assists and nine rebounds. He shot 2-of-7 from 3 and went 12-of-14 on free throws. He also had a steal.

If Gilgeous-Alexander had a watch that measured his energy, it'd be blinking red. The MVP winner left it all out on the court and then some. He understood what the high stakes were after a Game 3 stinker. An efficient 40-point triple-double answered the call of one of his biggest career games.

The Timberwolves couldn't contain Gilgeous-Alexander. He got to his mid-range spots and attacked the basket. Even if he didn't receive all the calls. He eventually wore down Minnesota's shutdown defense. He had a quick 13 points in the first half. Tallied 21 points in the first half.

Gilgeous-Alexander continued to be a point machine in the second half. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and played co-closer with Williams. Most came from the free-throw line as the Timberwolves tried to extend their hopes.

Another standout performance by Gilgeous-Alexander in a legacy game. Minnesota's counter superstar Edwards couldn't keep up as the experience and talent difference showed its ugly head. The Thunder are now a win away from an NBA Finals appearance led by the MVP.

Jalen Williams: A-plus

May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Catching McDaniels paying full attention to Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams jogged over to the corner spot. Before he even set his position, his MVP teammate threw a bullet pass to his All-Star teammate. He didn't even hesitate as he swished in a dagger 3-pointer.

Williams finished with 34 points on 13-of-24 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. He shot 6-of-9 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had three steals.

Talk about a perspective-changing performance. The Thunder's biggest question heading into the playoffs was if Williams would be a good enough second option to win a title. He wasn't last year, as he crumbled under the pressure. Besides a few blips, the answer has resoundingly flipped.

Williams was a scoring monster. He canceled out three Timberwolves role players scoring 20-plus points. He found a groove early on and was a mid-range maestro. That extended beyond the perimeter with one of his best outside shooting games of his career.

Leading the bench lineup to start the fourth quarter, Williams scored 14 points in the high-stress frame to put this one away. He made hitting difficult jumpers in front of a hostile environment look as easy as chewing gum. Any criticisms about his social media habits have been shushed.

If you turn your head sideways, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams look like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Both scored an efficient 30-plus points and outlasted the Timberwolves in the biggest game of the Western Conference Finals. Talk about storybook writing.

Chet Holmgren: A-plus

May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA;Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) reacts with forward Jalen Williams (8) in the second half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Hit with a spin move, Holmgren had no time for McDaniels' nonsense. He swatted the layup attempt as the shot-block specialist had one of his biggest rejections to extinguish the Timberwolves' faint comeback attempts in the final seconds.

Holmgren finished with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had three blocks and a steal.

If Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams were Batman and Robin, Holmgren was Michael Caine's Alfred. He was OKC's third-best player in a much-needed playoff win. Just like it should be. The Thunder smashed open a championship window around those three players.

Known more for his paint protection, Holmgren stepped up as a scorer. The seven-footer cleaned up plenty of his teammates' misses for second-chance buckets. He didn't need plays run through him and preferred to turn a lost possession into a contribution.

Holmgren's superpowers have grown stronger the deeper the Thunder go in the playoffs. He's returned to form over these last few games. The Thunder pulled their best lever with him at the center position for most of the game. That's their best counter, and it worked to perfection.

Alex Caruso: A

May 26, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) shoots the ball over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) in the second half during game four of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

After 30 points in 30 minutes, Edwards looked closer to prime Mike Conley than the NBA's next face. Give credit to Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Caruso for that. The 31-year-old enjoyed being able to be a physical defender. For the most part, the referees let both teams play.

Caruso finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, two rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-5 from 3. He also had two steals.

It shouldn't be a shocker that Caruso's minutes have ramped up in the playoffs. He started the second half in place of Isaiah Hartenstein. A couple of important layups helped the Thunder keep a distance on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

On defense, Caruso continues to be amazing. He matched up with Edwards and sometimes with Julius Randle. Size difference didn't matter. Time and time again, the Thunder have shown how much they trust the veteran down the stretch, as he was part of the closing lineup.

Highlights:

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder power past Timberwolves in 128-126 Game 4 win

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