The 2025 NBA Conference Finals are underway, featuring the top four remaining teams competing for a chance to reach the championship round.
In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder began their series on Tuesday night. Following a challenging seven-game battle with the Denver Nuggets, OKC secured a Game 1 victory against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points in their win over Anthony Edwards and the visiting Wolves.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference Finals are set to commence on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. The third-seeded New York Knicks will face the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers. This highly anticipated series features a star-studded point guard matchup between Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson. Both franchises are aiming for their first NBA Finals appearance in over two decades, with the Knicks last reaching it in 1999 and the Pacers in 2000.
As these leading teams battle it out, NBA analysts provide key insights and points to observe in these conference final series.
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder lead (6) Minnesota Timberwolves 1-0
Game 1: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Biggest takeaways for the Thunder:
For the Thunder, their defense was crucial early on, allowing them to stay close before their offense clicked. Despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams struggling initially, shooting a combined 4-of-21 in the first half, OKC was down by only four. The star pair took over in the third quarter, scoring 21 points together and individually outscoring the Wolves to build a significant lead. Chet Holmgren contributed nine of his 15 points early in the fourth, helping maintain the comfortable margin. Oklahoma City`s top-ranked defense was exceptional throughout, limiting Minnesota to 34.9% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers which led to 31 points for the Thunder.
Biggest takeaways for the Timberwolves:
From the Timberwolves` perspective, despite a promising first half and keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander relatively in check, their offense was largely ineffective. The team struggled significantly, shooting only 28.6% (20-for-70) outside of a few contributors. After holding a 48-44 halftime lead and a 60-56 advantage in the third quarter, Minnesota was overwhelmed by a 17-2 Thunder run that created a double-digit gap entering the final period. Bench production was minimal, with key reserves combining for poor shooting numbers. Anthony Edwards finished with 18 points on 5-for-13 shooting after an ankle issue in the first half. Minnesota faces a crucial challenge in Game 2 to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole before returning home.
Game 2: Timberwolves at Thunder (Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET)
What to watch:
Key observation for upcoming games: Can Minnesota improve its scoring in the paint? The Timberwolves were held to just 20 paint points in Game 1, an uncharacteristically low number compared to their playoff average (51.6) and significantly less than the 72 they scored in their previous series closer. Oklahoma City achieved this defensive success despite often using smaller lineups. Coach Mark Daigneault minimized the minutes for his larger frontcourt players and opted for different backup center options compared to their previous series. The Thunder compensated for lack of traditional size with intense perimeter defense and by clogging the paint, encouraging Minnesota to shoot threes. While the Wolves started strong from beyond the arc (5-of-11 in the first quarter), they cooled off dramatically (10-for-40 afterward). Minnesota`s ability to connect on outside shots might be key to opening up opportunities closer to the basket, a paradox where outside shooting unlocks inside scoring. Minnesota is a capable 3-point shooting team (35% in playoffs), but they will need high accuracy to force the Thunder`s defense to spread out.