After winning Game 4 128-126, the Oklahoma City Thunder have a commanding 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now, in Game 5, they’ll be back in Oklahoma City as the Thunder look to close the series out.
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Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves betting preview
Up 3-1, the Thunder got the win in Game 4 on the road, 128-126. They held a halftime lead of 65-57 and went on to outscore the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter, 41-28.
In that game, the Thunder shot 50.5% from the floor (48 of 95), including 43.2% from beyond the arc (16 of 37). Four players had double-digit points, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (40), Jalen Williams (34), Chet Holmgren (21), and Alex Caruso (10).
As for the Timberwolves, they now have their backs firmly planted against the wall and have to head back to Oklahoma City. Six players recorded double-digit points, including Jaden McDaniels (22), Rudy Gobert (13), Anthony Edwards (16), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23), Donte DiVincenzo (21), and Naz Reid (11).
They shot 51.2% from the floor (43 of 84) and shot 43.9% from 3-point range (18 of 41). The Achilles heel for them was the turnovers. They had 21 of them, whereas the Thunder had 14. They won the rebound and assists battle, but 21 turnovers against the Thunder will always be a disaster. For context, in Games 1 to 3, they had 14 or fewer in two of them.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves odds
Below are the odds for this matchup, courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook.
- Spread: Minnesota Timberwolves (+8.5, -114); Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5, -106).
- Moneyline: Minnesota Timberwolves (+280); Oklahoma City Thunder (-350).
- Total: Over 220 (-110); Under 220 (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves analysis
Heading into this one, the Timberwolves were coming off a massive 143-101 win in Game 3 and had a chance to settle the score and tie the series up 2-2. Instead, they lost by two and committed 21 turnovers. Now, with up to three games left in this series, there’s only potential for one more home game.
The Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season, holding teams to 107.4 points per game (third), a 3-point shooting percentage of 34.1% (first), and an overall shooting percentage of 43.4% (first).
After halting Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 3, they couldn’t stop him whatsoever in Game 4 after he put up 40 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
The silver lining for the Timberwolves is that they only lost by two despite the 21 turnovers, but back in Oklahoma City, they’ll try to beat a team that’s 33-14-2 against the spread as a home favorite (70.2%).
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves picks
With their backs against the wall, I expect the Timberwolves to go all out in this one. That said, I don’t think they’ll get the win, but instead, lose and cover.
Committing 21 turnovers is quite a lot, and I certainly don’t think that’ll happen again, but a win seems far-fetched.
In Games 1 and 2, which were also played in Oklahoma City, they lost by 26 and 15 points, respectively.
If the Thunder can continue to clamp down on either Edwards or Julius Randle (or both), it’s just hard for them to find a path to victory.
Randle has been one of the best players this entire postseason, so if they can slow him down again in Game 5, they’ll breeze to an NBA Finals berth.
Pick Timberwolves +8.5 (-114) at FanDuel
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves game info
- Who: Thunder vs Timberwolves
- Date: Wednesday, May 28
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Where to watch: ESPN
About the author
Richard Janvrin
Richard Janvrin brings nearly a decade of experience covering sports, sports betting, and everything iGaming. Richard received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism/English from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his career, Richard has written for sites like Bleacher Report, Forbes, The Game Day, WSN, Gambling.com, and many more.
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