Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Now, let's get to tonight's game between the Timberwolves and Thunder. As you see there, the oddsmakers are telling us that OKC is in line to win game two. The total is 215. That's a tick up from where it was in the last game, and the spread is pretty much the same.
00:16Did you see anything from the Timberwolves, Gilbert, that lead you to believe that there'll be more in this game when it counts in the fourth quarter? Because it seems to me this NBA game, as we're seeing in 2025, it don't matter what the score is at halftime anymore. I mean, we keep playing, oh, but this team was up to half, or oh, this team was up. I mean, it is all about how you close these games.
00:36Absolutely, Craig, and I think what I saw from them is things they can clean up. It was important coming into the series for them to not turn the ball over. They played right into Oklahoma City's hands, and they were doing that from the get-go. I think they recognized that they need to clean up their play, so that should keep the game closer so long as they take care of the ball.
00:55Now, do you get a 20-point first half from Julius Randle again tonight? Probably not, and Shea Gilles Alexander did have an uncharacteristically poor shooting night. He won MVP. The crowd's going to be loud. He's going to get the award before the game tonight, or the trophy before the game tonight, so I expect him to have a big night.
01:11I think the Timberwolves can keep it closer than they did last game because they know what they can correct, but this kind of feels like one of those series where the Thunder finally got through the two hard-fought ones, or the hard-fought one against Denver, and they can take an exhale a little bit, and their rest versus
01:25Russ' argument worked in the Thunder's favor in game one.
01:29Yeah, I mean, SGA's season is incredible. I mean, forget the points and the assists. I mean, this guy's got 52% from the field for an entire year playing a shooting position. I mean, that is just phenomenal for him, so no surprise there.
01:42As far as his numbers go in game two, I would love to know how many free throws his total is. Man, this guy doesn't miss free throws, and he takes a million of them. I know we don't have it here on the board.
01:5331.5 points, 1.5 made threes, 6.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds. I mean, if I set that total for free throws at 8, I think I'd go over Gilbert, but anyway, what do you like tonight on his numbers?
02:04I like his points. I think he finished with 31 in game one, and again, that was when he was ice cold in the first half, and really in the first three quarters, he found a way, like you said, to get to the line.
02:13It's a skill to draw fouls, albeit a controversial skill to be able to draw fouls and get to the free throw line, but I think he'll be much more efficient from the field tonight,
02:21and I think that that's going to result in a better scoring night. The Timberwolves have had a couple of good games against him, slowing him down a little bit,
02:27but he's also had some big games against the Timberwolves. I think he had a game of 40 and a game of 39 against this Minnesota defense during the regular season,
02:34so I think Shea finds his groove. Again, I think that getting the MVP award in front of the Oklahoma City fans is going to fuel him.
02:40I think there's a little bit less pressure now that he knows that he's won the MVP.
02:43He's going to look to show and prove exactly why he got that award for the season.
02:47And on the side of Minnesota, let's take a look at their point props here as well.
02:53With Anthony Edwards, Randall Reed, McDaniels, and Dante DiVincenzo, I feel like the one I'm going to circle here, Gilbert,
02:58I don't know if it's going to go over or under, but I know for Minnesota to win, it's got to be Randall, right?
03:03Like, Randall has to do what he's been doing the last couple of months.
03:06If this guy has 17 points, I don't think Minnesota's going to win, and I don't even think they're going to cover.
03:10Doesn't he need to have like a 25 or a 30 tonight?
03:13They need a big Randall game, and again, I said he had 20 in the first half.
03:17So to see his line be right where he was in the first half of that game is interesting to me.
03:21I do think Oklahoma City's going to be a little more focused on slowing him down.
03:25But Anthony Edwards stands out after the game.
03:27He lamented the fact that he only took 13 shots in game one.
03:30I know he sprained his ankle there in the first half and came back and was a little humbled by it,
03:33but I expect to see a very aggressive Anthony Edwards in this game.
03:36That should result in a higher scoring output from him because he does not want his team to fall into a 0-2 series deficit.