Thunder win Western Conference Finals, make first NBA Finals appearance since 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2024-2025 Western Conference Champions!

The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 124-94 Wednesday night to take the series 4-1 in the WCF.

Now, it's a waiting game for the Thunder, as they sit back and watch the Eastern Conference Finals unfold, with the Indiana Pacers leading the New York Knicks in that series, 3-1. Both teams head to New York on Thursday, with the game starting at 7 p.m.

If the Pacers pull out the win against the Knicks Thursday night, then they win the Eastern Conference Finals Championship and will face the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

But if the Knicks win, they then head back to Indiana for Game 6 on Saturday. If the Knicks can tie the series 3-3, Game 7 would be in New York on Monday, June 2.

The Road to the NBA Finals

Western Conference First Round: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies

The Thunder entered the 2024-2025 NBA Playoffs as the best team in the league and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, with a record of 68-14.

As play-in teams fought for their opportunity to join the big dance, the Thunder found themselves facing the No. 8 seed, the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Thunder found no trouble against the Grizzlies, taking the first two games in Oklahoma City in dominating fashion. The Thunder rolled the Grizzlies in Game 1 of the West First Round, 131-80, followed by another dominating Game 2, 118-99.

The team would then travel to Memphis, where they would take the series from the Grizzlies, 4-0, winning Game 3, 114-108, and Game 4, 117-115.

Western Conference Semifinal: Oklahoma City vs Denver Nuggets

The matchup with the Denver Nuggets seemed to be a lot more problematic for the Thunder than the 4-0 series sweep of the Grizzlies.

The Thunder would return home to Oklahoma City to face the Nuggets, only to drop Game 1 in heartbreaking fashion. Leading 113-102 with a little over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Thunder quickly found their lead crumbling before them.

The Nuggets quickly clawed their way back, and with only 11 seconds left in the game, the Thunder's lead was cut to one point, 119-118.

With the chance to potentially seal the game, Thunder's Chet Holmgren would miss back-to-back free throws, leaving the door wide open for Nuggets' own Aaron Gordon to make a game-winning three-point shot, taking Game 1, 121-119.

However, Game 2 wasn't nearly as close. The Thunder would win that game, 149-106, tying the series one game apiece before heading to Denver for Games 3 and 4.

The rest of the series was nothing more than a back-and-forth matchup, reaching all the way to a series-deciding Game 7. The Thunder would ultimately take the series at home, beating the Nuggets, 125-93.

Western Conference Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Minnesota Timberwolves

And then, there were four. The Oklahoma City Thunder versus the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, and the New York Knicks versus the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Thunder would start the series off just as they did in the first round, in dominating fashion. At home, the Thunder would start off hot, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Timberwolves, winning Game 1, 114-88, and Game 2, 118-103.

Before tip-off of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the 2024-2025 KIA Most Valuable Player Award. Gilgeous-Alexander was announced the winner on the evening of Wednesday, May 21, but received the trophy before the start of Game 2.

During his MVP season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds per game, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks.

He is now the third player in Thunder history to win the award, after Kevin Durant won it in the 2013-2014 season and Russell Westbrook won in the 2016-2017 season.

Following Game 2, the Thunder would travel to Minnesota, where they would suffer their first loss of the series, losing to the Timberwolves 143-101, led by a determined Anthony Edwards, who scored 30 points, on 9 rebounds and 6 assists.

With the series now 2-1, the Thunder were set on bouncing back from the Game 2 loss to the Timberwolves, wanting to take a comfortable 3-1 lead heading back to Oklahoma City.

It was no easy feat, but the Thunder were able to pull out the close win in Minnesota, 128-126.

The Timberwolves made sure to keep the game close until the very last second of the game, cutting the game to a one-point lead for the Thunder, 126-125, with just seven seconds remaining.

However, Gilgeous-Alexander would hit the free throw line, making both attempts and giving the Thunder a 128-125 lead. With four seconds remaining, Edwards would shoot two free throws, only to make one of them, ultimately sealing the Thunder's Game 4 win.

Fast forward to Wednesday night, Game 5, back in Oklahoma City. The Thunder looked hungry to close out the series and cement their name into the 2024-2025 NBA Finals. The team started the game off hot and did not let off the brakes, led by a strong performance by the MVP himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves 124-94, winning the Western Conference Finals, 4-1, and advancing to the NBA Finals. They now wait and see if the Pacers can close out the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks on Thursday.