It was a joyous atmosphere inside the Paycom Center as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was anointed the league’s most valuable player as the Minnesota Timberwolves eyed an opportunity to play spoiler as they took the court to claim a 1-1 series tie. The energy inside the arena crackled with excitement early and often.
The Timberwolves traded buckets with the Thunder early, with much better flow to the offense. There was a clear emphasis on probing into the painted area, with some possessions, the Wolves pressured the paint multiple times. Jaden McDaniels displayed a shooting stroke early, hitting his first two threes.