The Oklahoma City Thunder's tactic to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 4th game

The Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves after defending their home court. This was exactly what the Thunder needed to do, and they were just two victories away from reaching the NBA Finals. However, the third game was a completely different story as the Thunder suffered a 42-point loss.

This was the worst defeat for the Thunder in the season and playoffs. Additionally, no team has ever won the NBA Finals after losing a game by over 40 points during that series. The Thunder let the Timberwolves back in the series, and people were questioning if the Thunder were ready to compete in the Finals. However, in the fourth game, the Thunder responded with a win to take a 3-1 series lead, with Lu Dort leading the defensive identity recovery for the Thunder.

With the win in the fourth game, the Thunder have a 6-0 record since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joined the team. They won Game 4 against the Rockets in the bubble in 2020; unfortunately, they didn't win that series. Last year, they swept the Pelicans and then won Game 4 against the Mavericks to tie the series 2-2. This year, they swept the Grizzlies and won Game 4 against the Nuggets, and now the Timberwolves. Let's see how Lu Dort helped in recovering the Thunder's defensive identity and why this must continue in the future.

Lu Dort finally received the recognition he deserves and made it to the All-Defensive team for the first time in his career. The Thunder's defense has plenty of talented shot-blockers, but it all starts with Dort. He sets the tone for the Thunder's defense in every game, and when he has a great defensive game, usually the Thunder does too. In the third game, when the Thunder were up 2-0, they lacked strength in defense. They allowed the Timberwolves to do as they pleased. Minnesota shot 50% from behind the arc, the Timberwolves distributed 30 assists as a team, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle combined for 54 points, and lastly, the Thunder only forced 10 turnovers.

The Thunder didn't put up a fight, leading to a crushing defeat. However, in the fourth game, Dort and the Thunder regained their physical defense and responded with a victory. Dort set the tone from the start against Edwards and also Randle, helping the Thunder's defense play more physically. The Thunder forced turnovers again and caused 21 in the game. Ultimately, it wasn't perfect; this game was tight because the Thunder allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 43.9% from behind the arc. Nonetheless, the Thunder regained their defensive identity in this game, and they will need to maintain it going forward.

OKC's Key in the Series So Far

In the three games the Thunder won, they did a great job limiting Edwards and Randle. In the first game, Edwards scored only 18 points and Randle 28, but most of the damage was done in the first half. In the second game, Edwards scored 32 points, but it wasn't very efficient as he needed 26 shots to reach that mark. Additionally, Randle only scored 6 points and was completely taken out of the game. In the fourth game, Edwards and Randle couldn't score more than 21 points.

These three games showcase how dominant the Thunder's defense can be. However, in their loss in the third game, they were slow in rotations and didn't play with force, as if they were just going through the motions. The Thunder's offense can be streaky, and that trend has continued in the playoffs. However, they can endure a cold shooting night because of their defense. The Thunder are going all in. If they want to reach their ultimate goal, they will need to show the defensive intensity they had in games 1, 2, and 4, not the one displayed in game 3.

Finally, the highlight of the fourth game was the performance of the big three. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren combined for 95 points. Gilgeous-Alexander set a playoff career-high with 40 points and was a rebound shy of a triple-double. Williams also achieved a playoff career-high with 34 points, sinking six three-pointers. Holmgren scored 21 points and made a crucial block in the final quarter. It was the best game of the big three in their career together. The worst part is they keep getting better.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La táctica de Oklahoma City Thunder para derrotar a Minnesota Timberwolves en el 4º partido