The NBA is set for a superstar showdown in the Western Conference Finals, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder take on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Thunder have gone one better than their second round defeat last year, surviving Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets after a brutal seven-game series, while Minnesota took down a Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in five.
On the line now for both franchises is a trip to the NBA Finals, and a chance for one team to win their first-ever championship.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Conference Finals Preview
The Timberwolves and the Thunder will meet in the Conference Finals this season, a year on from both being defeated by the Dallas Mavericks en route to their 2024 finals run.
But both teams look a fair bit different this postseason - OKC have swapped Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso, and now have Isaiah Hartenstein in their front court, while Minnesota's big change comes in the form of replacing Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle.
Through four meetings during the regular season, both teams claimed two wins, setting up what should be an action-packed series.
Minnesota will be the more well-rested unit, coming into Game 1 with six days of rest after a five game series win, but Oklahoma City are easily the more battle-tested team, after a seven-game war against MVP finalist Nikola Jokić.
OKC hold home court advantage, but they lost Game 1 to Denver on their home court, and coming off of 48 hours of rest it would not be surprising to see Minnesota get the jump on them early.
However, the Thunder's regular season form speaks for itself, and their win over the Nuggets shows they've learnt how to win ugly, meaning they are likely to take this series in six or seven games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Anthony Edwards
The battle between SGA and Ant will be the main event during this series, as the likely 2025 MVP takes on the heir apparent face of the league.
Expect Edwards to face some turnover issues in this series, with the All-Star averaging 3.5 per game when facing the Thunder this season - up from his 3.2 season mark - and Oklahoma's defence have been dialled in during the post-season.
But Minnesota's main man will likely find ways to make OKC pay, with his hot shooting from three this season transforming him into a truly terrifying offensive prospect.
Gilgeous-Alexander found some elite form towards the end of their win over Denver, finishing the series with three straight games scoring over 30 points and shooting over 50% from the field.
If the Timberwolves learnt anything from watching that series, it will be to get the ball out of SGA's hands and make another one of the Thunder players beat them, but even then the MVP front-runner adjusted in these spots, play making well to beat the Denver zone.
This matchup will be a bell-weather for the series as a whole, and an all-time clash of star power hoping to take one step closer to the Larry O'Brien trophy.
X-Factor: Julius Randle
While Minnesota finished their regular season series 2-2 against Oklahoma City, they played three of those games without Julius Randle, whose lone appearance came in an eight-point loss on New Year's Day.
Randle has been colossal throughout this post-season, and was arguably Minnesota's best player against Golden State, a tall task when being primarily guarded by Draymond Green.
Aaron Gordon has already proved that big-bodied offensive players can make life tough for the Thunder, and considering the hefty defensive guard attention Edwards will face from names like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso, Randle could be the key to unlocking the Timberwolves' first-ever trip to the NBA Finals.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Conference Finals betting odds
After downing the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City are the strong favourites to win the Western Conference Finals.
Not only this, but they are still the team favoured to win the 2024-25 title.
| OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER | MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES |
| $1.22 | $3.80 |
How to watch Thunder vs. Timberwolves Conference Finals
Each and every game of the 2025 Western Conference Finals will be able to be streamed on ESPN via Foxtel, or streamed using Kayo.
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Conference Finals schedule
| DATE | TIME (AEST) | GAME | LOCATION |
| Wed, May 21 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 1 | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Fri, May 23 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 2 | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Fri, May 25 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 3 | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| Tue, May 27 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 4 | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| Thu, May 29 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 5* | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
| Sat, May 31 | 10:30 a.m. | Game 6* | Target Center, Minneapolis |
| Mon, Jun 2 | 10:00 a.m. | Game 7* | Paycom Center, Oklahoma City |
*If necessary