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

[MrPainfulTruth]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

Probably. Dont want to let it get too close. The question is, does the script take them all the way or is there a cinderella story for NY or Indy waiting?

Oh the suspense...i've decided to cancel my league pass. Will watch the games on "alternative" offerings from now on, will make me feel better knowing that none of my money is going into this.

[MoneyTalks41890]

T Wolves finally put in work inside the paint.

Points in the paint:
T Wolves 56
OKC 42

Fast Break Points:
T Wolves 6
OKC 12

T Wolves fast break points in game one 11, game two ZERO points, game three 6 points.

Fast break points must improve but it doesn't appear to be Coach Nurses game plan.

That was the difference. They were totally unable to get into the paint the first two games.

[cgf]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

Sorry but we already called dibs on the extender for game 4 of the ECF

[kazyv]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

I always kinda wondered about that. There's some special refs out there and we know the story with Foster and CP3. Why has no team ever asked some favors from the police? Just have them arrest Foster on game day on some pretense, make sure to drive him around and never book him until it's too late for the game. Then release him if lawyers show up. Nobody would really care, since police/mayor/public would be on board with it. The team can wash it's hands since it's the police being the police. What's the downside, really? The other refs will refs them harder than the guy that keeps screwing them over?

[jkvonny]

T Wolves finally put in work inside the paint.

Points in the paint:
T Wolves 56
OKC 42

Fast Break Points:
T Wolves 6
OKC 12

T Wolves fast break points in game one 11, game two ZERO points, game three 6 points.

Fast break points must improve but it doesn't appear to be Coach Nurses game plan.

Coach Nurse??

[RunOKC]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

I always kinda wondered about that. There's some special refs out there and we know the story with Foster and CP3. Why has no team ever asked some favors from the police? Just have them arrest Foster on game day on some pretense, make sure to drive him around and never book him until it's too late for the game. Then release him if lawyers show up. Nobody would really care, since police/mayor/public would be on board with it. The team can wash it's hands since it's the police being the police. What's the downside, really? The other refs will refs them harder than the guy that keeps screwing them over?

Sounds like a good way to end up dead in a ditch somewhere

[Dadouv47]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

let's not act like Caruso fouled out in game 2 because it would be bad for the narrative

[Laimbeer]

Game 1 they whistled up Minny for enough fouls that Rudy sat down 90 seconds into the game and OKC shot 11 free throws in the 1st quarter. Don't even pretend this a "well finally Minnesota came to play" situation. Ain't nobody that dumb.

So what's your theory - the officiating changed in Game 3? If so, why?

I dare to quote myself from before the game:

Once again the officiating will determine the result. Will there be two sets of rules again as in almost every game in these playoffs? Or do they have to extend the series to generate more artifical excitement? Oh the suspense...

So this is satire...

[Lunartic]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

let's not act like Caruso fouled out in game 2 because it would be bad for the narrative

The narrative is that Caruso is a very physical, foul prone defender and should be called for more fouls.

Him fouling out somehow contradicts this?

He should have fouled out several games in the Denver series as well. He constantly hacks and shoves players. I'm a Bulls fan and he did the same thing in Chicago, he's scrappy but he's foul prone.

[Dadouv47]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

[WestbrookGOATed]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

I'm also a KC Chiefs fan so I'm quite used to this. People just don't like successful teams from small markets. There is no situation in these peoples minds where we can win fairly lol.

[Dan33185]

I wish we had a league where the refs weren't talked about at all. They just did their job correctly and without bias.

[Dadouv47]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

I'm also a KC Chiefs fan so I'm quite used to this. People just don't like successful teams from small markets. There is no situation in these peoples minds where we can win fairly lol.

People started complaining about the Chiefs after they won at least a superbowl. We have 0 ring and we are far from getting our first yet so that's the kind of bull*** was I expecting to read after at least one title.

[Dadouv47]

Read on Twitter

That's my biggest concern...not those stupid refs talks.

[DonaldSanders]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

Welcome to being the top dog.

[MrPainfulTruth]

Refs have controlled this series pretty thoroughly.

SGA didn't get his tickytack, flop freethrows and Caruso/Dort got called for hacking defenders non-stop, suddenly Timberwolves are able to score and play defense.

I'm expecting Scott Foster to ref Game 4

let's not act like Caruso fouled out in game 2 because it would be bad for the narrative

The narrative is that Caruso is a very physical, foul prone defender and should be called for more fouls.

Him fouling out somehow contradicts this?

He should have fouled out several games in the Denver series as well. He constantly hacks and shoves players. I'm a Bulls fan and he did the same thing in Chicago, he's scrappy but he's foul prone.

The difference is that he actually got called for those fouls until he arrived in OKC, where he magically achieved the ability to play the same physical defense (that he also showed in LA) without fouling any more.

[mr570]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

Welcome to being the top dog.

Honestly all I remember pre-KD Warriors was people admiring them and if not that begrudgingly respecting them. People loved Splash Bros Warriors.

[NotaHypeJob]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

I'm also a KC Chiefs fan so I'm quite used to this. People just don't like successful teams from small markets. There is no situation in these peoples minds where we can win fairly lol.

This is crazy, the Chiefs definitely get home cooking because of mahomes lol

[zimpy27]

Guess OKC is in a Loss/Loss position going forward..either we win the championship thanks to the refs or we lose despite their help or because the refs finally adjusted.

Welcome to being the top dog.

Honestly all I remember pre-KD Warriors was people admiring them and if not that begrudgingly respecting them. People loved Splash Bros Warriors.

That's because LeBron was taking all the heat. Got no LeBron of that era in the league right now, no face of the league.

[Sealab2024]

It's honestly a sad stare of affairs. The league has propped SGA up for so long in the name of international appeal that now they have an MVP that can't finish inside and can't hit an outside shot. In any decently run business Adam Silver would be fired immediately alongside anyone who supported him.