Thunder hang on for control of the conference finals, 128-126 in Minnesota

OKC 128 MIN 126 (Thunder lead series 3-1)

This season will likely come down to whether Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are good enough to round out a championship core next to the league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Sure, if the team's defense and deep stable of excellent role players are equal to the sum of their parts, OKC may not need a Big Three to carry every playoff game or series. But as much time as we put into wondering about the long-term contract and fit of players like Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Isaiah Hartenstein, the biggest question is this: are the Thunder stars good enough to win a title? In a nail-biter on the road, JDub (34 pts / 3 stl) and Chet (21 pts / 3 blk) looked the part, making plays on both ends of the court to buttress one of Shai's biggest performances ever (40 pts /10 ast / 9 rbs).

The lid came off the rim for both teams, with Minnesota draining 18 threes to Oklahoma City's 16 and both teams shooting over 50% for the game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points on 15 shots) and Anthony Edwards (16 points on 13 shots) body-swapped, and SGA had a stellar first half: 21 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and a clear edge and aggression following his worst game of the season in Game 3. OKC hung onto an 8-point halftime lead through an exciting third quarter to start the final frame up 5, with a smaller rotation bending but not breaking through several comeback pushes from Minny. The Wolves kept it close down the stretch, but OKC came up with the kind of big shots, free throws, and late-game execution (including fouling up 3 on multiple possessions) they needed to take a 3-1 lead heading back home for Game 5.

Next up: The Thunder get their first of three chances to close out the Wolves, at home on Wednesday night.