Thunder advance to NBA Finals: Inside the numbers that led to Game 5 dismantling of Timberwolves

Daniel Mader

•
Thunder advance to NBA Finals: Inside the numbers that led to Game 5 dismantling of Timberwolves image

The Thunder, via one of the most thorough performances in NBA playoff history, are heading to the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City dismantled Minnesota 124-94 on Wednesday night, using an early barrage of turnovers, efficient buckets, and full-team efforts to coast to a massive win in front of its home crowd. The Thunder will now either face the Pacers or Knicks in the championship series.

Before the Thunder turn the page to the final round of the postseason though, they have a ton to celebrate from a flat-out dominant performance against the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

From a massive turnover differential to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP-like night, here's a breakdown of the numbers that led to a huge Thunder victory on Wednesday.

NBA PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NBA scores | NBA playoff schedule | NBA playoff bracket

Key stats from Thunder's Game 5 win over Timberwolves

Turnover differential

Turnovers are the name of Oklahoma City's game. All year, the Thunder have boasted a cohesive unit full of lengthy defenders, all of whom have a strong understanding of how to pick off passes, strip ball carriers, etc. That team-wide defensive talent was all over Game 5 on Wednesday night — especially in the first half.

Minnesota had 14 first-half turnovers, while Oklahoma City had just four. And when you dove deeper into the numbers, it only got uglier for the Timberwolves, as they had more turnovers in the first half (14) than they did field goals (12). The Thunder's 33-point lead at halftime was the largest in their franchise's playoff history and fifth-largest of all-time.

Through-and-through, the Thunder defense was locked in on securing extra possessions. The turnover differential finished at 21-14 in the home team's favor, with garbage time factoring in heavily. From forcing bad passes to freeing the ball from Timberwolves players' clutches, Oklahoma City's defense was everywhere in the first few quarters.

Six different players finished the first half with at least one steal for the Thunder. Many of them led to easy-pickings fastbreak points.

The two starting big men, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, also made their defensive impact with one first-half block apiece.

Timberwolves' first-half shooting percentage

While turnovers played most of the role in Minnesota's struggles while facing elimination, Chris Finch's squad also went ice-cold on the road at the worst time. The Timberwolves shot 12-38 (31.6%) from the floor, including 5-18 (27.7%) from 3-point range, in the first half. By the final buzzer, they were 35-85 (41.2%) from the floor and 12-34 (35.3%) from deep. 

Anthony Edwards, Jalen McDaniels, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined to shoot 4-24 from the floor in the first two quarters, making up most of Minnesota's struggles while it trailed 65-32. The ugliest of those two quarters was the first, as the Timberwolves finished it with just nine points.

By the time the second half even began, Minnesota was completely out of it and tracking toward the end of its 2024-25 season. In fact, the 33-point margin at halftime was the fifth-largest in NBA playoff history.

Alex Caruso's defensive showcase

If any one player was at the center of Oklahoma City's collection of turnovers on Wednesday, it was the team's veteran guard, Alex Caruso.

In the first half alone, Caruso had three steals, energizing the home crowd.

Without even touching the ball, Caruso's presence seemed to cause Naz Reid to fumble the ball away and out of bounds. 

By the end of the night, the journeyman guard, previously a 2020 NBA champion with the Lakers, finished with eight points, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals. 

Thunder 'Big Three' scoring

It was defense that had Oklahoma City coasting in Wednesday's Game 5, but offensively, everything was clicking, as well — especially for the Thunder's key players.

The new MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, had 20 first-half points, paving the way for his squad to reach the Finals. He added a consistent mix of defense and playmaking as well, finishing with 34 points, eight assists, seven rebound,s and two steals while making 14 of his 25 shots from the floor.

SGA's huge night began when he was in full command of his offense, scoring or assisting on 24 of the Thunder's first 26 points.

Behind Gilgeous-Alexander, the two other Thunder stars were also in rhythm. Jalen Williams and Holmgren both had 15 points in the first half; Williams finished with 19, while Holmgren finished with 22. And while Williams chipped in another eight rebounds and five assists, Holmgren added seven rebounds and three blocks.

From the start, Holmgren was owning the paint. Even with Oklahoma City barely prioritizing 3-point shooting, the inside scoring from its stars led to the huge lead.

By the end of the night, the Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren trio combined for 75 points on 29-of-52 shooting from the field. 

Biggest blowouts in NBA playoff history

While the first-half margin was historic, Wednesday's Game 5 between the Thunder and Timberwolves doesn't quite rank among the biggest blowouts in NBA playoff history. 

There have been a few 2025 playoff games to join the list, but because Minnesota managed to keep the final score within 30 points, it won't go down as one of the bigger playoff blowouts:

RankYearSeriesGamePoint Margin
1.2009West First RoundNuggets 121, Hornets 6358
 1956West SemifinalsLakers 133, Hawks 7558
3.1973West FinalsLakers 126, Warriors 7056
4.2025East First RoundCavaliers 128, Heat 7355
5.2015East First RoundBulls 120, Bucks 6654
6.2025West First RoundThunder 131, Grizzlies 8051
7.1971West SemifinalsBucks 136, Warriors 8650
8.1995East First RoundMagic 124, Celtics 7747
 1986West First RoundLakers 135, Spurs 8847
10.2024West Second RoundTimberwolves 115, Nuggets 7045
11.2017East FinalsCavaliers 130, Celtics 8644
 1997West First RoundSuperSonics 122, Suns 7844
 1985West FinalsLakers 153, Nuggets 10944
 1958West FinalsHawks 145, Pistons 10144
15.2025West Second RoundThunder 149, Nuggets 10643
 2020West First RoundClippers 154, Mavericks 11143
 2010East SemifinalsMagic 114, Hawks 7143
 1987East First RoundPistons 128, Bullets 8543
 1984West SemifinalsLakers 134, Mavericks 9143
20.1998NBA FinalsBulls 96, Jazz 5442
 2025West FinalsTimberwolves 143, Thunder 10142
22.2018West FinalsWarriors 126, Rockets 8541
 1991East First RoundBulls 126, Knicks 8541
24.2014West First RoundClippers 138, Warriors 9840
 2009West SemifinalsLakers 118, Rockets 7840
 2005West First RoundMavericks 116, Rockets 7640
 1983West SemifinalsSpurs 145, Nuggets 10540
 1982East FinalsCeltics 121, 76ers 8140
 1978East Semifinals76ers 130, Knicks 9040
 1969West SemifinalsLakers 118, Warriors 7840

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.