Loading summary
Narrator
This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Whoa.
John Krasinski
I just found out you can earn.
Narrator
Up to 3% daily cash back on everyday purchases made with Apple Card.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, you can earn unlimited daily cash back with Apple Card on every purchase. No matter where you check out with Apple Pay, you always get daily cash.
Narrator
The possibilities are endless.
Andrew Schlecht
What's better is that daily cash can automatically grow when you open a high yield savings account through Apple card.
Narrator
That's like endless plus one. Visit Apple Co CardCalculator today and discover just how much daily cash you can earn. Subject to credit approval Savings available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility Savings and Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA member FDIC terms and more@applecard.com did you hear? It's easier than ever to level up your card collecting game with PSA grading now on ebay. Listings easy and seamless. Here's how it works for Find a raw card over $250, add grading and make your purchase. That's it. Plus, for a limited time, shipping from PSA to you is free. Ready to build the most epic collection? Learn more@ebay.com PSA as you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM. This season we'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a 1500 dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least $10, place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text hopeny 467-369 In New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 In Massachusetts, 1, 800, bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1, 800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget if you haven't signed up for betmgm yet. Use bonus code theathletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a $1,500 first bet offer on your first wager.
Andrew Schlecht
Good morning and welcome to the Athletic NBA Daily Thunder Strikes the Timberwolves. We've got John Krasinski of the Athletics to talk about it. OKC going up two nothing. Let's do. Good morning, John. OKC picks up a 15 point win. Good morning to you, sir.
John Krasinski
Nice to see you.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah. Two wins away from the finals for OKC. Down 02 for Minnesota. And you know, I thought they played a better game. I thought the Timberwolves played overall a more sharp game than they did in game one, but it wasn't enough and they couldn't withstand the second half. Surgeon from OKC particularly. I think it was a strugglesome game from Julius Randle who just couldn't get anything going offensively. How hard is it for this team to be effective offensively for four quarters when it comes to Randle not being that guy on any. On a night to night basis?
John Krasinski
Yeah, I mean it's, it's really difficult because you know, Julius has been so good for them all playoffs, really consistent. And I think he's averaging like 24 points before tonight, before the game. And then he has six points, five rebounds, two for 11 from the field. He was shooting over 52% from the field coming into game two and just couldn't buy a bucket. And this is a team in the Thunder 68 win team in the regular season, the heavy favorite in this series. And so this is a game in a series where you need your stars. Anthony Edwards played well, was more aggressive in this one. He wasn't game one. But when you don't have Julius Randle to kind of help with that physicality with just the bucket getting, it just really becomes very hard to keep up with the Thunder offensively. And that's what we kind of saw. You know, in that game they just, just could not find enough buckets to keep up in the track meet with OKC when, when, when Randle is struggling.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, I thought ant had a really good start to this game getting downhill. I mean in game one he only took one shot in the paint. He had four shots in the fourth, fourth quarter in the first quarter in the paint. So like the aggression was there for him to get downhill and try to assert himself. But the jumper wasn't falling on the other side. One of nine from three for him. It's balancing how much they're utilizing him off ball, trying to get him going as a guy who can attack closeouts and be a guy who can make plays without the ball in his hands and knocking down those catch and shoot looks, but also like being the guy on ball for them. What do they need from him moving forward in this series?
John Krasinski
Yeah, I mean it, it was a really good adjustment from him to attack the rim even more. I mean Oklahoma City packs the paint and they do everything they can to take that away. But I just think that Ant was hell bent on getting there in, in game two and he really just put the pedal to the metal, got downhill and started to create things. And even on the empty possessions when that happened, it was always Ant driving and kicking to the corner for a wide open corner. Three, most of the time they were missing them. And so the simplest thing is the hardest for the Timberwolves right now and that's shooting the ball. And they were in the regular season, they were fourth in the league in three point shooting. They shot it. They shot above 37% as a team and Ant was 39% from three and on super high volume. But you know, you go 1 for 9 from 3. They went 11 for 39 overall from 3 point range. They just have not been able to hit in these first two games. I would credit OKC's defense a lot for that. The scrambling closeouts, the frenetic style that they're playing is speeding the Wolves shooters up some. But ultimately they are getting open looks and they're missing a lot of those looks. And if, you know, if they start to fall, if those shots start to fall, then this, this is going to, this series can turn quickly, but if they don't, then it's going to be over very quickly.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, I was listening to the post game and Nikhil Alexander Walker was talking about the wear and tear of the game and how it's not about just trying to land the knockout punch, but withstanding four quarters. And you look at what OKC can do defensively. One, it's the turnovers. Minnesota has 31 turnovers through the first two games. And then the other thing is, is the three point shooting and you mentioned some of the struggles on the end. They're 28.8% from three in the first two games. Not good. Not good for a team that's like 37% usually from three. But they've been able to win without the three point shot in these playoffs. We saw it against the Lakers, saw it against the Warriors. Is it the turnovers or Is it the shots that have to fall for this team?
John Krasinski
I mean, I would say it's more the shots because they are by nature a team that turns the ball over a lot.
Andrew Schlecht
Right.
John Krasinski
I don't think they're going to get to a point where they're only committing nine turnovers in a game. Now I thought actually 14 tonight wasn't terrible, but they did give up 22 points off of those. They gave up 31 points off of 19 turnovers in game one. So really what I do think is like if you're looking at realistic pathways for them to turn things around here, I think the biggest thing is for them to knock down shots because we've seen them do that in the regular season at a very high clip. We've seen them do it and some games in the playoffs as well at a very high clip. So that is attainable. I don't know against this defense, with a team that is careless by nature if it's realistic to ask them to really cut down their turnovers a great deal. I thought one of the things that Nikhil Alexander Walker talked about that was really interesting and telling was he said they have to do more than get by on their talent.
Andrew Schlecht
Right.
John Krasinski
And I do think in the first two rounds against a very flawed Lakers team, against a very shorthanded warriors team, this, this, these Wolves could win just on talent. They didn't have to really play great basketball to win games against their opponents that they were facing. The, the Thunder are a completely different animal. Like you have to good basketball to beat them and the Wolves just haven't been anywhere close to that for most of these first two games. The fourth quarter was a little something that they showed a little bit of a heartbeat, but by and large they've been just pretty sloppy.
Andrew Schlecht
I will credit Chris Finch here because he is pushing the right buttons or at least he's trying to push multiple buttons here in the sense that they've gone small, they've tried to go away from Rudy Gobert, they've tried to go with the Randle and Nas Reed lineups for a little bit. They lean into the, the whole aspect of like 5 out offense a lot throughout this series and he's been trying to push different buttons here. I'm wondering also another aspect to that is the zone they went to zone today. I didn't think it was that effective. I thought OKC did a pretty good job of handling it. What are the other buttons that Chris Pinch and the coaching staff have to push moving forward in the series?
John Krasinski
Yeah, you Know. Yeah, you do look at it, you know, in game two in the fourth quarter, he didn't play Julius Randle. Yeah, barely at all. And, and Randall's been such a great player for them. Rudy Gobert sat down as well. And so one thing we saw in the regular season, one interesting kind of subplot here is that, you know, they split the regular season 2 to 2. There was a three game stretch where they played a very compact three games in February where Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Dante DiVincenzo were all out. And you'd think like going into this series like, oh, they, well, they got Randall and Gobert back like this. You know, this is great for them. But I wonder just if in this specific matchup if it's not better to go even smaller, even sleeker with your, with your lineups, right? Nasrid at the five, Jaden McDaniels at the four. And you know, some combination of DiVincenzo, Nikhil Alexander, Walker, Anton, Mike Conley in the, on the wings, in the backcourt, because that was what got them their two wins against Oklahoma City was getting up and down, like running with them.
Andrew Schlecht
Staying with them at that pace. Right?
John Krasinski
Yeah, exactly. And then blitzing Shea in the, in the half court, getting the ball out of his hands, making other players beat him. Jalen Williams has played really well in the series so far, but testing that a little bit more might be an option for Chris Finch. You know, I do think, like, I don't blame him for these first two games, really trying to stay with what got, got them here and lean into being big, seeing if that'll work. But it so far has not. And so now it's becomes like a kitchen sink thing, I think, where you got to be willing and open to anything. And so maybe they do with this day off and then getting ready for game four or game, excuse me, game three on Saturday, maybe they do look back a little bit more at those games that they won and see that, you know what, you just got to run with a man. You just got to turn this thing into a windshield wiper game and see if you can get a rhythm offensively by getting out in transition and finding, finding shooters in the flow. And so that's something I'm watching for a little bit going into the weekend here.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, I hate to say it, and I mentioned this last time when we were talking about game one, but it is a make or miss league sometimes and just making the shots that are available to you will make a world of a difference. And possibly going home, playing at home. Role players will knock down those shots more often. Obviously the bench was a little bit better today for Minnesota, so we'll see what happens. John Krasinski of the Athletic, thank you very much for joining us. Reed. John, as always, appreciate you. When we come back, we'll talk to Andrew Schlecht about the OKC side of things.
John Krasinski
Foreign.
Narrator
This message is brought to you by Apple Card Whoa.
John Krasinski
I just found out you can earn.
Narrator
Up to 3% daily cash back on everyday purchases made with Apple Card.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, you can earn unlimited daily cash back with Apple Card on every purchase. No matter where you check out with Apple Pay, you always get daily cash.
Narrator
The possibilities are endless.
Andrew Schlecht
What's better is that daily cash can automatically grow when you open a High Yield Savings account through Apple card.
Narrator
That's like endless plus one. Visit Apple Co CardCalculator today and discover just how much daily cash you can earn. Subject to credit approval, Savings available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility Savings and Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA member FDIC terms and more@applecard.com as you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM. This season we'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a 1500 dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least $10, place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic. See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text hopeny467369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 in Massachusetts, 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Don't forget if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager. They've done it again. Ebay and PSA are leveling up your collecting game with one click grading now on ebay listings. All you gotta do is find a raw card over $250, add grading and make your purchase seamless and so easy. Plus for a limited time, shipping from PSA to you is free. Yeah, we said free. Stacking slabs has never been easier. Go to eBay.com PSA for all the details and build that epic collection. Today.
Andrew Schlecht
The open Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a win, two wins away from the NBA Finals. Mr. Schlecked two wins. And there was another big thing that happened today, you know, somewhat regular in Oklahoma City at this point. You know, over the last 11 seasons they've had three MVPs which is, is wild to consider. But Shay Gil just Alexander was named mvp, officially got his trophy. Actually it's been SGA week in Oklahoma in general and in Toronto, by the way. Just wanted to mention that. But yeah, how, how has the experience been this week celebrating SGA and his MVP season?
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
It's been really cool. You know, they had the press conference yesterday and getting to see Shay, honestly, a little bit uncomfortable because it's weird because you're in this time where there's a lot of intensity and you're locked, you're completely locked in right now to the playoffs, the Western Conference final. But you're in this moment where you have to remove yourself a little bit and you have to use like, you have to reflect a little bit on like what your entire journey has been like. And I, for the first time since I can remember, we saw Shea cry on stage yesterday talking about his wife. I thought that was really cool. He continues to be completely humble through all of this. You know, it's about hard work. It's about the people that got him here. He is just continuing to endear himself to Thunder fans, to the city, to Thunder fans around the world with the way that he's handled all of this. And he continues to kind of point to his teammates in which, you know, there's been stories written about these extravagant gifts. Like 160k was spent on like every one of his teammates. And they got rollies, they've got all this stuff. And he continues to just kind of point to his teammates. He points to, you know, his wife, he points to his, his parents about, you know, how he's gotten here it's been very cool. And it was cool to see him hoist the trophy, to have the crowd behind him. And then he talked about how he felt like he could actually celebrate what has happened because they won tonight.
Andrew Schlecht
Right.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And that was, that was kind of what everybody was wondering about, like, how is this, what's this going to look like? Is this going to give them more energy to go into the game or, you know, is it going to zap them? You know, and so we, we saw they responded very well. And for the Thunder to win tonight, on top of everything else that's happened, you know, you could tell that, like, the most important thing to Shay right now is winning the basketball game.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Because I think it's really hard to celebrate things like that if you lose and you're going to Minnesota, you know, one, one that really changes the tenor of the whole week. But because it's 20 heading to Minnesota, I think that everybody's, you know, feeling really good about what's going on here in okc.
Andrew Schlecht
He had an MVP performance too. Like, he showed off exactly why he was the most valuable player this season. 38 points, 12 of 21 from the field. Yes, folks, he got to the free throw line, but it was because he was aggressive. We won't get into that conversation again. He was surgical. From the mid range area just absolutely carved up the Minnesota Timberwolves. I was listening to the postgame and, and the Timberwolves were basically being asked like, hey, how do you stop them in the mid range? Because they love to get to that area. And they're like, man, it's just hard to stop SGA when he gets to his spots. He is so good. And, and I, I thought another aspect of this is the fact that J Dub and Chet were great. This was the third postseason game for the Thunder this season where all three of them had 20 plus points. You know, Jalen Williams ended up with 26, chat ended up with 22. What, what did you see from the other guys? The, the, the trio here for okc.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
It was a huge game from J dub. He had 11 points in the fourth quarter and had some. He had a really big steal. I, I think that the Timberwolves had had cut it to 10.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And then he stole the ball.
Andrew Schlecht
He kind of like somehow miraculously stole that ball too. He like picked the pocket and wrapped it around and it was incredible.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Yeah, I, he did that. Then the ball gets up the court, gets in Chet's hands, he misses Dub grabs the offensive rebound, puts it back in that was a huge moment. He did miss the free throw, but it was a huge moment in the game because it felt like things were slipping a bit for okc, and they just continue to find little ways to stabilize. I think it was actually a good thing for them because sometimes I feel like you can kind of ride high through a game like this and roll through it and feel like, oh, there's no resistance from this team. And, like, the fact is, like, we just haven't really seen the best punch from the Timberwolves yet.
Andrew Schlecht
No, not yet.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
We saw a little bit of that, you know, toward the end of the game. I think it was good for them to feel that tension because that's what they're going to feel in game three. You know, this is a desperate Wolves team. If you go down three, oh, you're toast. It's over.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
It could still go five or six games, but it's over, you know.
John Krasinski
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And so I think that it was important for them to kind of feel that tension toward the end of the game and find ways to stabilize and find ways to push it back to 13 again. You know, he hit a. He had a big three. Two JW did. And so it was just really good to see him play that way. And then Chet has been really great at the rim. There's been times where you watch Chet, you know, around the basket, and he is kind of going up soft or he can't find an opening, and he gets his shot blocked. That happened a ton of. Against Denver. It just felt like when he got underneath the basket, that Jokic was going to block him or somebody was going to block him. And he really found, you know, some dunks tonight. He found ways to score around the rim, which I thought was really important for him. He hadn't found the three ball yet, but I thought that he had some important rebounds. He protected the rim. They're able to play him at the five exclusively a lot, which I think is really good for them. I believe that was their best lineup tonight.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
At the five.
John Krasinski
Yeah.
Andrew Schlecht
Well, they closed with it, too, right? That was. They were leaning on that in the fourth quarter. And the. The thing about Chet, which is really interesting, Richard Jefferson has mentioned this in both games so far. It's like taking his time when he catches the ball and really, like, understanding that he's just tall. Like, he's really tall and really long, so he can take his time. More like he's afforded the luxury of being able to take. Being able to take his time to finishing around the Basket. There's another level he. He can get to. You know, we've seen J. Dug take the step to All Star, obviously, Shay become an MVP over the last, you know, four or five seasons. Chet is next on the list for becoming an All Star, and obviously, once he has a healthy season, putting himself in the conversation for defensive Player of the year, like, that is how good of a player he is. That's how good of a player he can be. And it's just. I think this. You've mentioned this before, but it's sort of the. The recovery process from him coming back from the injury and being at 100%. We still haven't really seen that yet. It's slowly getting to that point where he looks like himself again, Right?
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Yeah. It's funny he's up for extension, but he's really only played a season and a half of basketball.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And you can see pretty good season and a half. There's. There's moments where he looks incredible, and there's others where you kind of see the youth that's there with Chad. But there is something special, like, he's a special competitor. And I think that a lot of the Thunder success really stems from the fact that he can do a lot of little things for them, that he can turn guys away from the rim, that he can space the floor. You know, he had a lot of good passes tonight. I think that there's a lot of really good things that kind of stem from Chet, and we're just kind of scratching the surface with him. And I think that they're, like you said, the best is yet to come for him. And, you know, it's really all about staying healthy, and it's about, you know, putting weight on. And, like, that's something that he's proud. He's heard since he. Yeah, he knows a kid. He knows he needs to do that. But that's also something that just comes naturally.
Andrew Schlecht
You know, I know it very well. You know, as you get older.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Listen, we know it just happens. It'll happen. You know, when he's 27 or 28, you know, he's. He's going to be a lot stronger. I mean, he's never going to be big, but, like, Kevin Durant's another guy that kind of has the same body type as him. Kevin never got bulky. I don't think anyone expects him to get bulky, but Kevin got a lot stronger.
Andrew Schlecht
You know what? This is funny. I was watching okc. The Thunder shared a social media video from when SGA first came to Oklahoma.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Yeah.
Andrew Schlecht
And he was talking about how he needed to develop his body, and it kind of hit me how much he's actually developed his body since he was a second year player.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Like the.
Andrew Schlecht
The process of just shoulders, like becoming stronger in the shoulder area. Incredible to watch.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Yeah.
John Krasinski
Mark.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Mark called him scrawny, by the way. He was like. I remember when scratch. When Shay first got here, he was scrawny. He said that tonight.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah. No, you. You can tell and like the work that that man has put into his game. You watch like some of the rookie highlights, even early Team Canada stuff. It's like, yeah, it was there. And there's stuff that he was getting to that was incredible. Kaitlan Cooper said he plays like a slinky. He really does in the way that he bounces back and forth. But to get to the level of proficiency that he's at right now required so many hours in the gym. And so it's incredible that he's relishing in the opportunity of becoming the mvp. I was going to say this story yesterday, but we had a crazy Knicks Pacers game. But from like a Canadian perspective, watching a guy win MVP is sort of the culmination of 20 years of Canada basketball developing too. Like, this is something that has just been massive from our perspective. You think of Steve Nash. I mean, I grew up on watching Steve Nash play basketball. And for him to now be the next Canadian MVP just shows how much the. The game is growing and how much Canadian talent we have. I mean, look at just the. This series. The series on the other side. There's a lot of Canadian basketball. So, yeah, SGA is on the forefront.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Of it and Lugan Store and Lou Dort.
Andrew Schlecht
Hey, by the way, shout out to Lou Dort for the all defense. I know that's a big part of. Okay. Love. Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Yep. All defense first team today. Jada made the all defense second team.
Andrew Schlecht
Yep.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
You know, Shay got votes, Casey Wallace got votes, you know, which, I mean, it all makes sense when you look at this team as what I believe is they are inevitable of all time. Yeah.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And it is the. And a lot of people have said this and it's showing to be true that, like the best thing about any team right now that's left in the final four is the Oklahoma City Thunder defense. Like, that's. That's the best thing that's happening right now.
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah. Everybody, you know, if you think about, like, great defensive teams that won championships, you know, everybody brings up the 04 pistons. That's usually the team everybody brings up. It's like a bunch of scrappy dudes that won off the back of a great defense. I think we need to change that now. Well, and maybe in a couple weeks to the 2025 Thunder. Okay, wait. One more question before we had to head out of here. SGA obviously got his teammates. Rollies, what was the best gift you've ever given to someone?
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
The best gift that I've. That I've ever given to somebody?
Andrew Schlecht
Yes. Yeah. I mean, Rollies, have you given a role?
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
No. No. Heck no. I would want it to be for my wife. I'm trying to think like, what's the best gift I've ever given my wife? I mean, I gave her a really great engagement ring. Is that is that counts?
Andrew Schlecht
We are taking that. I like that.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Does that count?
Andrew Schlecht
Yeah, sure.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
And in fact, today it is now my wife and I's 16th anniversary today.
Narrator
Wow.
Andrew Schlecht
Well, congratulations.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Shout out to Amy. Who?
Andrew Schlecht
Shout out to Amy.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
The best.
John Krasinski
Yes.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
That's awesome.
Andrew Schlecht
Oh my God. Well, congratulations to Andrew. Congratulations to Amy. Congratulations to SGA for winning the mvp. Thank you to Andrew Schleck. Thank you to John Krasinski for joining us earlier. Thank you for listening to the athletic NBA Daily. We will see you guys tomorrow.
Narrator
Foreign how can you grow your business from idea to industry leader? Bring your vision to life with smart business buying tools and technology from Amazon Business. From fast free shipping to in depth buying insights and automated purchase approvals, we deliver everything you need to achieve your goals. It's not easy to stand out from the crowd. Simplify how you stock up to get ahead. Go to amazonbusiness.com for support. Heads up. Trading card collectors. It's easier than ever to get your cards graded with grading by PSA now on eBay listings. All you got to do is find the card you want, add grading and make your purchase. Yeah, just like that. Plus, for a limited time, shipping from PSA to you is free. It's the easy way to build an epic collection. Learn more@ebay.com PSA USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply.
Release Date: May 23, 2025
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni
Special Guests: John Krasinski, Shea Gilgeous-Alexander
Reporters: Andrew Schlecht, Alex Spears
The episode delves into the intense NBA playoff series between the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) and the Minnesota Timberwolves. With OKC securing a pivotal 15-point victory in Game 2, they are now just two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals.
Andrew Schlecht sets the stage by highlighting the Timberwolves' struggles:
"It's a team in the Thunder 68-win team in the regular season, the heavy favorite in this series... they just could not find enough buckets to keep up in the track meet with OKC when Randle is struggling." ([03:39])
John Krasinski elaborates on the Timberwolves' offensive challenges:
"Julius has been so good for them all playoffs, really consistent... he was shooting over 52% from the field coming into game two and just couldn't buy a bucket." ([03:39])
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) emerges as a standout performer for OKC, not only leading his team but also earning the MVP title. His dominance on the court was evident as he recorded 38 points and 12-of-21 shooting from the field in the decisive game.
Andrew Schlecht praises SGA's performance:
"He was surgical. From the mid-range area just absolutely carved up the Minnesota Timberwolves." ([19:58])
SGA reflects on his MVP journey and the importance of teamwork:
"It's about hard work. It's about the people that got him here... he continues to just kind of point to his teammates." ([16:35])
In addition to SGA, teammates Jalen Williams (J Dub) and Chet delivered impressive performances, each scoring over 20 points in the game. SGA acknowledges their contributions:
"It was a huge game from J Dub... he had a really big steal." ([20:08])
Conversely, Julius Randle of the Timberwolves faced significant challenges, struggling to make an impact offensively, which was uncharacteristic of his playoff performances.
Timberwolves' coach Chris Finch has been experimenting with various lineups and defensive strategies to counter OKC's strengths. Despite efforts to go smaller and implement zone defenses, the strategies have yet to yield the desired results.
Krasinski critiques Finch's approach:
"He’s been trying to push different buttons here... but it so far has not." ([09:28])
There’s speculation on potential adjustments Finch might consider for Game 3, including:
SGA's MVP accolade is a focal point of the discussion, emphasizing his growth and significance to the Thunder.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander shares personal insights:
"It's been really cool... I have to use like, I have to reflect a little bit on like what your entire journey has been like." ([16:35])
Andrew Schlecht highlights the broader impact of SGA's MVP on Canadian basketball:
"From a Canadian perspective, watching a guy win MVP is sort of the culmination of 20 years of Canada basketball developing too." ([25:01])
SGA also touches upon his relationship with teammates and personal life, celebrating his 16th anniversary:
"And in fact, today it is now my wife and I's 16th anniversary today." ([27:56])
The Thunder's defensive prowess remains a cornerstone of their success. Their ability to create turnovers and disrupt the Timberwolves' offensive flow has been instrumental in their victories.
Shea Gilgeous-Alexander praises his teammates:
"There are a lot of really good things that kind of stem from Chet, and we're just kind of scratching the surface with him." ([23:20])
Looking ahead, the conversation anticipates a challenging Game 3 for the Timberwolves, who must overcome their shooting woes and reduce turnovers to stay competitive in the series.
Andrew Schlecht wraps up the episode by congratulating SGA and expressing optimism for the Thunder's potential to claim the championship.
"Thank you to Andrew Schleck. Thank you to John Krasinski for joining us earlier. Thank you for listening to the Athletic NBA Daily." ([27:59])
This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily provides an in-depth analysis of the Thunder-Timberwolves series, celebrating individual achievements while critically assessing team performances and strategic decisions. Whether you're a dedicated fan or a casual follower, the discussion offers valuable insights into the dynamics shaping the NBA playoffs.