Western Conference Finals lead thanks to more lopsided turnover counts. The No. 1 seed tallied four fewer turnovers than Minnesota in the series opener and six fewer turnovers two nights later. This two-way trend requires primary playmakers who maintain good ball security and a disruptive defense.

While the Thunder absolutely earned their Game 4 win, the ending was once again devoid of drama. How does the NBA correct this?

Minnesota Game Preview Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | MVP Shai's Thunder look to build their NBA Finals run.

Early in the first quarter of Game 5 of the West finals Wednesday, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle tried to run a pick-and-roll from the left wing. First, he got a screen from Mike Conley,

By the end of OKC’s 124-94 Game 5 win Wednesday night, the Thunder’s barbaric defense had reduced the Wolves to nothing but a collection of empty pelts.

The matchup for the 2025 Western Conference finals is set, and the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in the NBA Finals. The Wolves are just the fifth team ever to make the West finals as No.

The Thunder's lone loss against an Eastern Conference team came to the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing 129-122 on the road in January. Just over a week later, OKC bounced back, trouncing the Cavs by 20 points in a dominant showing, ending the season with a +13 point differential against the best team in the Eastern Conference.

In fact, there's one key area in which the Thunder have been completely dominating the rest of the NBA throughout the playoffs: turnover differential. Through 16 playoff games this year, Oklahoma City has a +100 turnover differential. They're on pace for the best mark in NBA history, by a lot.