OKLAHOMA CITY — As Nickeil Alexander-Walker went to double Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams received a quick bounce pass and swished in a catch-and-shoot rightwing 3-pointer. The outside bucket was the dagger as the OKC crowd celebrated the final two minutes.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a 118-103 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’re now up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals. Both victories demonstrated the large gap between the rosters.

“I thought our spacing and attacks were pretty good. We shot the right shots, made the right passes. We can learn from it. It’s a different look again we can improve from,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “But I thought again, by in large offensively, we did a real good job tonight.”

After Gilgeous-Alexander received his MVP trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Butterflies fluttered in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ’s stomach as his teammates and the fans who packed the Paycom Center roared while he raised the MVP trophy above his head minutes before the opening tip of Thursday’s Game 2.

“I was a little bit too juiced up,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the emotions flowing through him at the moment.

He settled down soon enough, coming through with a performance that displayed why he was worthy of the NBA’s highest individual honor.

The Thunder rolled the momentum into the game. The offense hummed along as they had a 29-25 lead after the first quarter. While you’re happy with the lead, it likely could’ve been larger if they hit on their outside looks.

Eventually, the math helped the Timberwolves. They were awful from within the perimeter. But some outside shooting luck from role players kept them in it. The Thunder scored 29 points in the second frame and a strong finish created a 58-50 halftime lead.

Then, the Thunder’s signature avalanche rolled along. They completely shut down Minnesota’s offense. The outside shots didn’t fall at the same clip anymore. A 25-8 OKC run turned this from a back-and-forth contest into a lopsided affair. Gilgeous-Alexander stole the ball before Cason Wallace threw a daring lob to Chet Holmgren that peaked the OKC crowd noise. The Thunder outscored the Timberwolves in the third frame by 35-21. They entered the fourth quarter with a 93-71 lead.

The MVP winner had 30 points through three quarters. Mind you, this is the Western Conference Finals. Not a random December game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards kept his word about shooting more, but the raw point total wasn’t at an efficient rate that altered the game.

The Timberwolves made it interesting with a late push. They cut the Thunder’s 24-point lead to 10 points a couple of times. But that was the closest Minnesota would get in its 32-point frame. While this game never devolved into garbage time, most understood what the final result would likely be.

The Thunder shot 50% from the field and went 9-of-33 (27.3%) from 3. They shot 19-of-24 on free throws. They had 30 assists on 45 baskets. Three Thunder players scored double-digit points. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with an efficient 38 points. Williams had a near 26-point triple-double. Holmgren scored 22 points.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves shot 41% from the field and went 11-of-39 (28.2%) from 3. They shot 20-of-26 on free throws. They had 20 assists on 36 baskets. Four Timberwolves players scored double-digit points. Edwards finished with 32 points on 12-of-26 shooting, nine rebounds and six assists. Jaden McDaniels had 22 points. Alexander-Walker scored 17 points. Naz Reid had 10 points and eight rebounds.

“I’m happy we won so I can really enjoy the last couple of days, soak it all up,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That really helps.”

Through two games, the Thunder have outclassed the Timberwolves in about every way possible. It’s still early in the series, but the former looks pretty sitting atop with a 2-0 series lead. Gilgeous-Alexander has easily been the best player, while Williams and Holmgren have stepped up. They now travel to Minnesota with all the confidence.

“Special moment to share with the fans. The fans that were here tonight, those are iconic pictures and history in the league. The fans get to enjoy that and acknowledge him,” Daigneault said about Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP trophy presentation. “It’s an appropriate time to say in these two games, as well as the rest of the games, our fans were outstanding. Put the wind on our back in these games. We’re going to continue to need them.”

The Thunder now head to Minnesota for Game 3 Saturday. The game is set to start at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.

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