Oklahoma City Thunder on the brink of first NBA finals since 2012
Gilgeous-Alexander who scored 40 points, grabbed nine rebounds and provided 10 assists.
For Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, 2025 has been a long time coming. His four-year vision has come to fruition.
Most Valuable Player Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced a first-class performance as the Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves to move within one win of the NBA Finals.
The Thunder led 65-57 at the break and 90-85 at the end of the third quarter, but had to survive a late Minnesota fightback to take a 3-1 lead in the seven-game series.
Gilgeous-Alexander who scored 40 points, grabbed nine rebounds and provided 10 assists made five of six free throw attempts in the final 15 seconds to seal a 128-126 victory.
Jalen Williams added 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting, while Chet Holmgren finished with 21 points on nine-for-14 shooting. Mark Daigneault's side bounced back from a crushing 143-101 loss they suffered in game three.
"We did a good job of staying in the moment tonight," Gilgeous-Alexander told the BBC.
"We obviously had a bad taste in our mouth from the last game, and we just wanted to control the things that we could control tonight. I think staying in the moment was the best way to do so.
"We could have been better tonight for sure. Tonight wasn't perfect, but we gave ourselves a chance... and we got a W," he added.
The Timberwolves pushed Oklahoma City all the way, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker scoring 23 points off the bench, Jaden McDaniels contributing 22 points, and Donte DiVincenzo finishing with 21.
"Everything is out there," Alexander-Walker said.
"There's no secrets. They know how to beat us. We know how to beat them. It's just about going out there and doing it. We showed that at times throughout this game, but consistency, that's all it has to be."
Victory in game five in Oklahoma on Thursday morning will secure the Thunder a place in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, where they would face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks.
The Pacers lead the series 2-1 with game four taking place Tuesday night.
