The Minnesota Timberwolves booked their return to the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday after closing out the Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the second round. This marks their second consecutive trip to the West Finals, where they’ll face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Denver Nuggets. Following Minnesota’s series win, Charles Barkley shared a bold opinion on Inside the NBA regarding Oklahoma City’s chances in the playoffs.

“Nobody’s going to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder this year,” said the veteran Inside the NBA analyst. “They’re going to go to the championship and they’re going to win it. They gonna beat Denver. They gonna beat Minnesota and they’re going to beat whoever comes out of the East. We keep looking for holes. They’re started to believe… I think Oklahoma City has proven they’re the best team in the NBA… Oklahoma City don’t have no holes.”

The Thunder currently hold a 3-2 lead in the series, with Game 6 set for Thursday in Denver. At this point, Oklahoma City looks like a strong contender to take the title. They finished the regular season first in defensive rating and third in offensive efficiency, and their combination of depth and relentless energy is unmatched by any of the remaining playoff teams.

Still, the Thunder remain a young and largely untested group in the postseason, and with the high level of parity across the league, it’s tough to make a confident prediction about who will ultimately capture the NBA title this year.

The Thunder showing poise in the post-season

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) battle for a loose ball as forward Jalen Williams (8) and referee Sean Wright (4) look on in the fourth quarter during game four of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) talks to tv reporters after his team defeated the Denver Nuggets during the game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center
Thunder’s Jalen Williams doesn’t know what he yelled after clutch Game 5 3-pointer
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) runs down the court for a play against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s confidence delivers in the clutch in Game 5

The Thunder may be young, but they’ve displayed impressive composure in pressure moments. In Game 4, they clawed back from an eight-point deficit in the final quarter. In Game 6, they trailed by nine before Lu Dort ignited a turnaround, hitting three huge 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch that shifted the momentum. Their Game 5 victory was another sign of growth—a gritty 112-105 comeback after falling behind by 12 and entering the fourth quarter down eight.

The young Thunder continue to grow with every game as they push toward what would be their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2016. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are facing real questions about their depth as they prepare for a must-win showdown at Ball Arena.

All the minutes are starting to take a toll on Denver’s starters, who have logged around 951 minutes in the series—138 more than Oklahoma City’s first unit. Outside of Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, and the occasional spark from Julian Strawther, the Nuggets' bench has offered little support.

In Tuesday’s fourth quarter, Nikola Jokic was the lone bright spot, hitting 4 of 6 shots for Denver, while the rest of the team went just 1-for-15 from the field, including 0-for-10 from deep. Jokić poured in 44 points on efficient shooting, but his supporting cast came up short.

On the other side, the Thunder had six players score in double digits, led by MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 31 points and seven assists.