We do this thing as sports fans where we say a team or player can’t win it all, until they do. Some fans wanted to break up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston until the organization’s patience paid off with a banner No. 18. It’s not new — there was a time when it was popular to say Michael Jordan couldn’t win the big one — and it’s not just basketball, ask the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.

There were plenty of fans and some knowledgeable people inside basketball heading into the playoffs who were not convinced that Oklahoma City was any more than a good regular-season team.

All those questions have been answered. Those critics have been silenced.

With a chance to make the NBA Finals on the line, the Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-94, to take the series 4-1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 and was rightfully named Western Conference Finals MVP.

Oklahoma City will host Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 5. The Thunder will be heavy favorites to win the title, regardless of whether the Pacers or Knicks come to town next week.

While SGA was fantastic and Chet Holmgren added 22 points and Jalen Williams 19, it was the Thunder defense that won them this game, and this series. Oklahoma City came out on Wednesday with defensive pressure that once again had Minnesota on its heels, and the Timberwolves started the game 1-of-11, putting them in a hole.

That hole only got deeper.

The Timberwolves shot just 3-of-20 in the first quarter. Minnesota scored 32 first-half points with an offensive rating of 61.5 (compared to 125 for Oklahoma City), and they trailed by 33 at that point. Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards combined for `17 first half points on 17 shot attempts with five turnovers.

While the Timberwolves made a couple of pushes, the game was never in doubt in the final 24 minutes.

After five games on the sidelines, WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark has been freed from her de facto "assistant coach" role. Friday afternoon, the Indiana Fever announced that Clark has been cleared to play in Saturday's game against the undefeated New York Liberty.

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How did Caitlin Clark get injured?

The Fever announced on May 26 thatClark would be out for at least two weeks with a strained left quadriceps muscle. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year has gotten off to a good start to her second season, averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.8 three-pointers in 34.9 minutes.

The exact timing of Clark's injury is unknown. She dealt with a left leg injury during the preseason, sitting out Indiana's May 3 opener against the Washington Mystics. However, that was the first of two games in as many days for the Fever, who face Brazil's national team in Iowa City the following day. Clark was on the floor for her "homecoming," playing 19 minutes and finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, one blocked shot and four three-pointers in the blowout victory. Clark also played 23 minutes in Indiana's preseason finale against the Atlanta Dream on May 10.

Fever coach Stephanie White said during her availability on May 27 that this injury is not related to the leg issue that Clark dealt with during the preseason. Clark played 38 minutes in Indiana's two-point loss to the Liberty on May 24 and would then undergo an MRI on her quad. The strain would be discovered then, sidelining the point guard for at least two weeks.

How many games did Caitlin Clark miss?

While the initial timeline announced by the Fever meant Clark would miss a minimum of four games, she would miss five. The fifth was Indiana's 77-58 loss to Atlanta on June 10, dropping the Fever to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in Commissioner's Cup competition. The good news for Indiana is that it is still in second place in the East in the cup competition, with New York boasting a 3-0 record ahead of Saturday's matchup.

While New York (+75) would still hold a decided advantage over the Fever (+17) in the point differential category, an Indiana victory would tighten up the race for the top spot in the East.

Who filled in for Caitlin Clark?

When Clark was injured, Fever coach Stephanie White moved veteran guard Sydney Colson into the starting lineup. In the five games she started, Colson averaged 4.0 points and 2.4 assists in 21.4 minutes. Also, she was injured during Indiana's May 30 loss to Connecticut, but did not miss any time beyond the remainder of that contest.

Alsosuffering an injury during Clark's absence was reserve guard Sophie Cunningham, who sprained her right ankle for the second time this season during the aforementioned loss to the Sun. Clark has not appeared in a game since and will not be available for Saturday's game against New York.

The player who benefited the most from Clark's injury was Aari McDonald, who was signed on a hardship exemption on June 1. In three appearances, the 2021 first-round pick averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 three-pointers in 25.3 minutes, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the foul line.

Indiana won two of the three games McDonald played in, with the lone defeat being Tuesday's loss to Atlanta. Clark's return moved Indiana back to 10 game-eligible players, meaning that McDonald had to be released in a corresponding move. Her brief stint with the Fever may be enough to get McDonald a look from another WNBA team soon.

UPDATED 2025 WNBA MVP ODDS

(from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Napheesa Collier: -330

Caitlin Clark: +400

A’ja Wilson: +3000

Breanna Stewart: +3500

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Preview

It’s Wednesday, May 28, and the Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33) and Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

The Timberwolves are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 5, while the Thunder have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Timberwolves vs. Thunder live today

• Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2025
• Time: 8:30PM EST
• Site: Paycom Center
• City: Oklahoma City, OK
• Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Timberwolves vs. Thunder

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

• Odds: Timberwolves (+282), Thunder (-358)
• Spread:  Thunder -8.5
• Over/Under: 220 points

That gives the Timberwolves an implied team point total of 108.89, and the Thunder 113.32.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday’s Timberwolves vs. Thunder game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Timberwolves & Thunder game:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Minnesota Timberwolves at +8.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 220.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Timberwolves vs. Thunder on Wednesday

• The Thunder have won five straight divisional matchups at home
• The Thunder have scored 114 or more points in three of the four games in this series
• The Thunder are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as home favourites

The Timberwolves have won 7 of their last 10 games against teams with winning records

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

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Phoenix went with someone new to the role — Brian Gregory — to be the team’s general manager, rather than going with a retread.

It appears the Suns will do the same thing with their head coach. Multiple reports have indicated that the Suns have narrowed their search for a new head coach down to five finalists, each of whom would be a first-time head coach in the league. This set of five was put out by the well-connected Phoenix radio reporter John Gambadoro and confirmed by Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.

Another report from the Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin says Micah Nori, the Timberwolves' lead assistant, also could be in the mix.

What each of those candidates has in common is that they have not yet been a head coach in the NBA. Each of them is well-respected around the league, and each has interviewed for several other NBA coaching jobs but has yet to be placed in the big chair.

The new coach will be the Suns' fourth in the last four seasons and takes over for Mike Budenholzer in the wake of a disappointing 36-46 season that saw Phoenix finish outside even the play-in despite the highest payroll in the NBA. Beyond hiring a new coach, major roster changes are expected over the summer, starting with a trade of Kevin Durant and possibly Bradley Beal. The plan is to retool around Devin Booker, not tear down and rebuild but be competitive next season.

The challenge for Gregory and hands-on team owner Mat Ishbia is setting up an organizational culture, which flows into a style of play, and having the coach be the embodiment of that style. Whatever Gregory has in mind for retooling the roster, he needs a coach who is not only good at Xs and Os but can get the players to buy into that new system. A disconnect between the players and coaching staff was one of the problems in Phoenix last season, one that the new coach needs to change. It's a lot on the plate for a first-time coach.