2025 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #6 Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads 2-0)

[Capn'O]

OKC should be the clear favorite to win the title now. Nobody is on their level that’s left.

There wasn't another team on their level this year

[bledredwine]

Ant man is Paul George tier right now. Hopefully he can get out of that

He ruined his beautiful all around game by focusing exclusively on three point shooting.

Please, everyone stop trying to be steph. You’re not. It’s frustrating as hell to watch.

[Patches Perry]

One thing about Denver that I don't see yet with Minnesota is they seemed to understand the importance of each possession and each game. For 5 of the 7 games, they didn't give you a single thing, it had to be taken from them. Every OKC stop and every OKC score felt like a huge accomplishment in the moment.

I think pretty highly of this Minnesota team and think they'll win game 3, but I think their fight in this series has been underwhelming. Perhaps this is the lack of experience and understanding the moment maybe. This felt like a regular season game for most of the game.

[Chuck Everett]

Ant man is Paul George tier right now. Hopefully he can get out of that

He ruined his beautiful all around game by focusing exclusively on three point shooting.

Please, everyone stop trying to be steph. You’re not. It’s frustrating as hell to watch.

He doesn't like contact, that's why he doesn't want to drive with that kind of aggression. It might help him if he works on an in-between game, but the first step to getting to the free throw line a lot is being able/willing to absorb hard fouls from time to time.

Think about how D-Wade played. He was a very physical guard and was willing to take a beating for free throws. Latrell Spreewell the same. Imagine if Edwards had Corey Maggette's mentality going to the rim. Maggette went to the line a ton. He's built like that, but he's also kind of not. By the way, not playing like that may offer Ant more longevity in the league than some of the names I mentioned, which probably matters more to him.

[DonaldSanders]

Omg all you people crying about SGAs fouls.. I don’t believe you guys even watch the game. Dude is legitimately fouled majority of his fouls

People were really complaining tonight about SGA? A couple soft fouls, but I also saw the Wolves get some soft calls. Part of the issue is SGA is practically the only guy on the Thunder who draws fouls, so the focus gets concentrated on him.

26-24 FTA advantage for the Wolves. SGA and the Thunder are just better than everyone.

[Infinite Llamas]

Reminder: This is the 1 seed against the 6th seed and there's a 19 game difference in record. I don't know what some were expecting.

Wolves won just one less game than Denver.

Yup they were like one game back from the 3rd seed Lakers so calling them the “6th seed” is a little disingenuous.

[Infinite Llamas]

Thunder with three more fouls and two fewer free throws just for the record

You have the better team, but based on style of play, I wouldn't trade Ant for SGA. Congratulations on having a really great team.

Well I think oKC hangs up the phone if they offer Edwards for Shai so you won’t have to worry about that

[Mavrelous]

One thing about Denver that I don't see yet with Minnesota is they seemed to understand the importance of each possession and each game. For 5 of the 7 games, they didn't give you a single thing, it had to be taken from them. Every OKC stop and every OKC score felt like a huge accomplishment in the moment.

I think pretty highly of this Minnesota team and think they'll win game 3, but I think their fight in this series has been underwhelming. Perhaps this is the lack of experience and understanding the moment maybe. This felt like a regular season game for most of the game.

Wolves never understood that, not this year, not last year.
They are a big burst of talent, size and athleticism, but aren't particularly smart, that's why grandpa Conley is still a key player for them.

[levon]

McDaniels is gonna need to get reprimanded one of these games. He almost launched SGA into Ant's knees because he can't manage his temper.

[LSWF]

Thunder with three more fouls and two fewer free throws just for the record

You have the better team, but based on style of play, I wouldn't trade Ant for SGA. Congratulations on having a really great team.

Well I think oKC hangs up the phone if they offer Edwards for Shai so you won’t have to worry about that

Never said they would offer. And no doubt they would hang up the phone. I'm just expressing what my fandom is. But you knew that.

[DonaldSanders]

Yup they were like one game back from the 3rd seed Lakers so calling them the “6th seed” is a little disingenuous.

True, but they had a soft 2nd round matchup. Curry was torching them before getting injured, and averaged 29ppg all regular season vs. the Wolves on high efficiency, and 4-1 against them when he played. I think the Dubs could have put up a better fight against OKC than averaging a 20+pt loss, though ultimately falling to the best team in the league, the Thunder.

[levon]

Yup they were like one game back from the 3rd seed Lakers so calling them the “6th seed” is a little disingenuous.

True, but they had a soft 2nd round matchup. Curry was torching them before getting injured, and averaged 29ppg all regular season vs. the Wolves on high efficiency, and 4-1 against them when he played. I think the Dubs could have put up a better fight against OKC than averaging a 20+pt loss, though ultimately falling to the best team in the league, the Thunder.

If Steph didn't get injured in round 2, he would've gotten injured in round 3, or Butler would have. That core isn't going deep in 2025, especially not against teams like the Thunder. This is a young man's game.

[mkot]

Thunder with three more fouls and two fewer free throws just for the record

The Thunders do foul a lot, but that's not a problem for them because they have a deep bench to continue to put guys out there and keep playing aggressive defense. Caruso can play 20+ a game and foul out or keep playing aggressively with 5 fouls because here's Cason Wallace or Aaron Wiggins.

They will continue to push the envelope because they know they have the advantage, and they also know the refs just not going to call everything. It's really not about which side gets more fouls or FTs.

[metalinguss]

OKC should be the clear favorite to win the title now. Nobody is on their level that’s left.

There wasn't another team on their level this year

Yea I thought Denver was their toughest test and I had whoever winning that series winning it all.

[whatisacenter]

You have the better team, but based on style of play, I wouldn't trade Ant for SGA. Congratulations on having a really great team.

Well I think oKC hangs up the phone if they offer Edwards for Shai so you won’t have to worry about that

Never said they would offer. And no doubt they would hang up the phone. I'm just expressing what my fandom is. But you knew that.

If Rihanna called and asked me out...I would hang up on her.

[76ciology]

The Wolves just need to take away all the mid-post actions. The push-off + stepback mid-range shot is maybe more efficient than trying to create from the mid-post. Offensively, their best approach might be to run a 2 man game without Ant as the primary option. If that action gets denied, swing it to the weak side and let Ant attack, ideally against a defender who’s been pulled out of position by the initial strong-side action.

[Infinite Llamas]

Yup they were like one game back from the 3rd seed Lakers so calling them the “6th seed” is a little disingenuous.

True, but they had a soft 2nd round matchup. Curry was torching them before getting injured, and averaged 29ppg all regular season vs. the Wolves on high efficiency, and 4-1 against them when he played. I think the Dubs could have put up a better fight against OKC than averaging a 20+pt loss, though ultimately falling to the best team in the league, the Thunder.

Golden state had a talent gap with the Wolves once Curry went down but I feel like Kerr was coaching circles around Finch. That Minnesota team is so undisciplined and careless and they have played that way every time I have seen them this year. Major focus issues. Golden State wins that series if Curry isn’t hurt.

[LSWF]

Well I think oKC hangs up the phone if they offer Edwards for Shai so you won’t have to worry about that

Never said they would offer. And no doubt they would hang up the phone. I'm just expressing what my fandom is. But you knew that.

If Rihanna called and asked me on a date I would hang up on her....

I'm a senior citizen, but I'd risk the heart attack

[DonaldSanders]

If Steph didn't get injured in round 2, he would've gotten injured in round 3, or Butler would have. That core isn't going deep in 2025, especially not against teams like the Thunder. This is a young man's game.

OK Mr. believing in 40yr old LeBron

Butler was injured in round 1 and into 2, all we needed was a healthy Steph. Next year we won't be playing like it's the playoffs the last 25 games in the season, #2-#3 seed and less physical stress into the playoffs. No Olympics for Curry, totally different.

Thunder are the best team, but there are other squads who can do better than averaging a 20pt loss. I'm not talking about a high bar here, sheesh. The Warriors need to improve in the off-season to contend, but we could have done better than what the Wolves are doing now.

[Infinite Llamas]

Ant man is Paul George tier right now. Hopefully he can get out of that

He ruined his beautiful all around game by focusing exclusively on three point shooting.

Please, everyone stop trying to be steph. You’re not. It’s frustrating as hell to watch.

Edwards is like a rich man’s version of Jason Richardson in his peak Golden State days. Which is a really good player but falls a little short of being a superstar because you always feel like something is missing from his game that truly gets him to that next level.