The Western Conference appears to have two new top dogs. The Minnesota Timberwolves have unexpectedly shot up to the top of the conference with a 30-12 record, while the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder are right behind them in second place with a 29-13 mark.
The two teams faced off on Saturday in Minneapolis, and early in the fourth quarter, it appeared Minnesota was on its way to victory. But despite trailing by as many as 12 points, the Thunder rallied by outscoring the Timberwolves 28-14 in the final period to claim a big 102-97 win.
Anthony Edwards scored just 19 points, and he was understandably frustrated afterward. He seemed to take a shot at the referees when told the media that it is hard to stop Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because of the calls Gilgeous-Alexander gets.
Gilgeous-Alexander led everyone in scoring with 33 points, and he dropped in 12 of those points from the free throw line. He’s fourth in the NBA in scoring at 31.1 points per game, and despite weighing just 195 pounds at 6-foot-6, he’s third in free throw attempts per game.
NBA News & Rumors: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
His ascension as a legitimate superstar over the last couple of years has been a huge part of the Thunder’s ascension as a legitimate force. As a rookie with the Los Angeles Clippers five years ago, he averaged just 10.8 points a game and was sent to Oklahoma City the following summer in the trade that brought Paul George to the Clippers.
After getting to just one Western Conference Finals in four seasons with George and Kawhi Leonard on board, one has to wonder if the Clippers did the right thing in jettisoning Gilgeous-Alexander and six first-round draft picks for the injury-prone George who, by the way, has historically been inconsistent in the playoffs.
While the Clippers have a short window in which to compete for an NBA championship, Oklahoma City’s window is just starting to open wide. The Timberwolves are hoping the same is true for them thanks to Edwards’ similar growth as a superstar in the making.
