Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker gave an honest statement on the 128-126 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was an absolute classic, but now Minnesota is in a 3-1 deficit and on the brink of elimination. The bench on Monday night was phenomenal. The trio of Alexander-Walker, Donte DiVincenzo, and Naz Reid combined for 55 points, which kept the Timberwolves in the game, despite quiet nights from Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle.

Unfortunately, some really efficient shooting from OKC down the stretch sealed the deal, and the overall No. 1 seed is now one win away from the NBA Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with a game-high 40 points and 10 assists, looking like the MVP winner he is. The Timberwolves ultimately have their work cut out for them. Alexander-Walker admitted how much this defeat hurts while detailing what the team's mindset should be right now.

“It definitely sucks, being that close but at the end of the day you got to look at why and right now, facing the reality of being down 3-1 there’s not much time to really dwell on whether or not we’re happy. We've got to focus on what’s ahead and get to the next thing.”

It's all hands on deck for the Timberwolves as they face elimination

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Minnesota has been down 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals before. That took place last season against the Dallas Mavericks, which ended the next game. However, in this case, the Timberwolves are the lower seed and will have to travel to Oklahoma City to extend this series. The Thunder have been dominant on their home floor this round, winning both contests with minimal resistance.

The Timberwolves will need a complete performance to stay alive, and it starts at the top. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle will need to show the form they have throughout this postseason on Wednesday night. In addition, Minnesota will have to significantly reduce its turnovers, which were at a game-high 21. Head coach Chris Finch's team is on the brink, and it's time for this team to show its mettle in the face of this ultimate adversity. One win in OKC and the Timberwolves will be favored to get this series to a Game 7. But right now, the focus is on Game 5.