Julius Randle benched as Oklahoma City Thunder win Game 2 against Minnesota Timberwolves, Conference Finals, Anthony Edwards

The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are simply two wins away from their first NBA Finals look since 2012 after dominating the third quarter on their approach to a 118-103 Recreation 2 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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The second recreation of the Western Convention semifinals sequence was properly and really within the stability at halftime, even after Oklahoma Metropolis completed with a flurry to finish the second quarter, taking a 58-50 lead.

However the Thunder outscored the Timberwolves 35-21 within the third to open up a 93-71 buffer coming into the ultimate quarter and regardless of Anthony Edwards’ finest efforts, it wasn’t sufficient to raise Minnesota off the canvas.

Edwards, who teammate Mike Conley stated was “angry” after an underwhelming recreation within the sequence opener, was aggressive find his shot early and completed on 32 factors.

It meant little ultimately although as Julius Randle struggled (six factors, 4 turnovers) whereas Rudy Gobert (5 factors) and Mike Conley (three factors) additionally did not get something going.

In reality, Randle — who had 28 factors in Recreation 1 after averaging 25.2 within the sequence towards Golden State — was benched for the whole fourth quarter.

The Thunder, alternatively, have been led by one other standout recreation from freshly topped MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 38 factors, whereas Jalen Williams (26 factors) and Chet Holmgren (22 factors) assisted the franchise famous person completely.

Gilgeous-Alexander had his fingerprints all around the recreation from the very begin, scoring six-straight factors halfway by way of the primary quarter because the Thunder took a 23-15 lead.

Oklahoma Metropolis have been up 29-25 after the primary interval regardless of capturing simply 1-for-8 from downtown, with the Thunder doing loads of harm within the paint (14 factors) and on the free throw line (6-for-6).

Edwards, in the meantime, scored or assisted on 16 of Minnesota’s 25 factors whereas he additionally pulled down six rebounds within the opening quarter for the primary time in his profession.

It was the precise model of Edwards that the Timberwolves wanted to match the Thunder and he stored it going within the second quarter, driving to the rim for an and-1 to reply again after two fast Alex Caruso 3-pointers.

Edwards had already matched his whole discipline targets tried in Recreation 1 with just below 5 minutes left within the second and Oklahoma Metropolis main 45-44.

However Gilgeous-Alexander took over late within the interval, scoring Oklahoma Metropolis’s final 11 factors, to assist the Thunder to a 58-50 halftime lead.

Nonetheless, it felt just like the Timberwolves have been very a lot within the recreation. That modified rapidly although.

Minnesota shot 0-for-6 from deep and made simply 42 per cent of its discipline purpose makes an attempt within the third on the best way to being out-scored 35-21 within the interval.

That left the Timberwolves needing to play catch-up in entrance of a deafening Paycom Middle crowd and regardless of some large pictures from Edwards, the Thunder held robust to shut it out.

The sequence now heads to Minnesota, with Recreation 3 scheduled for Sunday at 10.30am (AEST).