The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s sport plan for Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards was executed to a tee of their Sport 4 victory in Minnesota. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was practically flawless, ending with 40 factors, 9 assists, and ten rebounds—simply shy of a triple-double. Jalen Williams added 34 factors, together with six three-pointers. The hometown child, Chet Holmgren, delivered among the finest postseason performances of his younger profession, posting 21 factors, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
It was a press release sport the Thunder desperately wanted, particularly for this younger core. The sport was backwards and forwards, and Minnesota simply couldn’t recover from the hump on the finish of the night time. Anthony Edwards completed with 16 factors on 5-of-13 taking pictures. It was a lackluster night time for Edwards, who was face-guarded and double-teamed all through. His operating mate, Julius Randle, was equally disappointing, ending with 5 factors, seven rebounds, and three assists. When requested about his and Randle’s struggles, Edwards credited Oklahoma Metropolis’s defensive scheme.
“I don’t take a look at it like I struggled or he struggled,” Edwards advised the media after the sport. “They’d a superb sport plan, making us get off the ball. Particularly for me, man, they had been tremendous in gaps… I don’t actually take a look at it like I struggled. I didn’t get sufficient photographs to say I struggled.”
Nonetheless, when you’ll be able to’t discover alternatives to take the photographs you’re snug with, that may be a type of wrestle.
Cousin of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, led Minnesota in scoring with 23 factors, and Donte DiVincenzo’s 21 factors had been the fixed inside the inconsistency for this Timberwolves staff—however it wasn’t sufficient. With a closing rating of 128-126, Minnesota had an opportunity late however didn’t execute when it mattered most.
Sport 5 in Oklahoma Metropolis may both ship this franchise to its second NBA Finals since shifting in 2007, or we’ll be headed again to Minnesota for Sport Six—if Edwards and Randle can bounce again from their disappointing performances.
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