Julius Randle has been a talisman for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the playoffs. His teammate Anthony Edwards’ flair is built for the spotlights. However, in Game 1 against OKC, it only seemed to be true in the first half. Similar to what the Thunder did to the Nuggets in Game 7, they suffocated the Wolves’ depth. Their offensive retaliation came through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who shared a few words after the game.

With two fierce defenses colliding, SGA didn’t have a clinic night. However, he managed to wade through the Timberwolves’ system, scoring 31 points and dishing out nine assists. The Timberwolves’ star tandem seemed to match his output. However, Julius Randle got the most out of his chamber in the first half, while Edwards succumbed to the Thunder’s defense.

OKC’s defense first managed to curb Nikola Jokic and has now done the same with Edwards and Randle. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commended their efforts. But despite the defense managing to limit the Wolves to just 88 points, he did amp up the demands from the group.

“Yeah, we had to be aggressive with him. Obviously, he’s a very physical player, talented player. Try to make him uncomfortable. That’s what you do with great players. We did a good job of it in the second half. If we want to be a really good team, we have to do it all 48 minutes. But we will take the W,” he said about defending Randle.

Edwards had a tougher time than Randle, evident with his team high -23 net differential. The defense zeroed in on him all night. It limited him to 18 and scoreless in the fourth. But just like Randle, SGA acknowledged his greatness. “Same thing as Julius, nothing different. Really good players, you got to make them uncomfortable. You got to get in their airspace and try and take away their strengths,” he said about keeping Ant-Man in check.

However, the Thunder didn’t play a spotless game. They surged in the second half, leading to their convincing win in Game 1. So, what did they learn from this game to improve?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a man of secrets

After the first half, it was advantage of the Timberwolves. Edwards and Randle, the due, had combined for 33 points while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling. But while Minnesota’s key stars found a way past the Thunder’s pesky defense, their teammates couldn’t. The Thunder suffocated everybody else as the rest of the Wolves combined for just 6 of the 15 baskets the Timberwolves made in the first half.

The momentum carried on for OKC, and their defense successfully haunted both Edwards and Randle in the final two quarters.

But in terms of mistakes, the number-one seed had plenty. They had a stagnant offense in the first half. Jalen Williams failed to attack, while SGA took his time, and they only made 3 triples to the Timberwolves’ 10. Likewise, reporters were curious to know what data the Thunder were able to gather from their opposition.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knows about the repairs they need to make. But he doesn’t want to give out any hints. “I’m going to keep that a secret and not let the world know so they get to see it. But we know what we got to do,” he said about the fixes the Thunder could make for Game 2.

All that seems certain is that this won’t be a battle of the aces. The series will largely be dictated by which of the two great defenses finds greater success. Both showed moments of being able to do so. In the end, the Thunder unit asserted itself with dominance. But don’t let it be mistaken.

The Minnesota Timberwolves saw a glimpse of them finding success. In addition, their defensive capability is just as strong. So, although the scoreline showed a 26-point victory, don’t assume this is how the series is bound to go.