NBA
Thunder Post NBA Record 4th 30-Point Playoff Win This Postseason
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All posts by James FoglioUpdated10 hours ago on May 29, 2025
The Oklahoma City Thunder won 124-94 at home over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2012.
Thunder Have 61 Double-Digit Wins This Season
Per ESPN Stats & Information, Game 5 was Oklahoma City’s fourth victory by a margin of at least 30 points during this playoff run, the most by a team in a single postseason in NBA history.
This was also the Thunder’s second consecutive closeout win that was a rout, following Oklahoma City’s 32-point Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The only other teams with multiple 30-plus-point closeout wins during a playoff run were the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers and 2008 Boston Celtics, both of whom won championships.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) May 29, 2025
“The focus through the distraction of a closeout game to go to the Finals is what was most impressive,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I mean, they were laser focused today, and that allowed our best to come to the surface.”
According to Basketball Reference, the Thunder now have 61 double-digit wins this season, including the regular season and playoffs. That’s also the most in a single season in league history.
Oklahoma City leads four all-time great teams: the 2017 Golden State Warriors (60), the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks (58), the 1996 Chicago Bulls (56), and the 1972 Lakers (56).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Led OKC With 34 Points
In Game 5, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 34 points to go with seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. Chet Holmgren also had 22 points and seven rebounds, while Jalen Williams added 19 points and eight boards.
The Thunder had a 65-32 halftime lead after outscoring Minnesota 26-9 in the opening quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander put up 32 points in the first half, and Holmgren and Williams combined for 30 points as well.
“It almost seemed like we did everything we were supposed to do,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “We made it tough on the guys we were supposed to make it tough on. Well, I thought it was tough for everybody [on the Timberwolves].
“We were clicking on all cylinders as far as what their tendencies are, what our game plan is, how we want to impact the game, how we want to impact the ball. Then from there, we were able to just run and have fun and be ourselves. It really starts with defense for us.”
The 26-year-old SGA is one of three players to record 30-plus points and 5-plus assists at least 10 times in a single postseason. The newly crowned MVP joins LeBron James (2015, 2017, 2018) and Michael Jordan (1989, 1990, 1992).
Per Elias Sports Bureau, Oklahoma City also became the second-youngest team (average age of 25.6 years old) to advance to the Finals, trailing only the Portland Trail Blazers’ 1976-77 championship team.
The Thunder await the winner of the Eastern Conference finals, which the Indiana Pacers lead 3-1 over the New York Knicks. Oklahoma City went 4-0 against those teams in the regular season.
