OKLAHOMA CITY — In a game where Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace finished with seven assists off the bench, his teammate, Isaiah Hartenstein, saw flashes of Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's seven free throws in five minutes of the opening frame, Wallace settled into a seven-assist performance in his Western Conference Finals debut.

After Tuesday's 114-88 win, Hartenstein compared Wallace to the likes of the Hall of Fame passer, Magic Johnson, per NBA's X, formerly Twitter.

“I came in the locker room today and called him Magic Johnson,” Hartenstein said. “I've never seen him pass like that before but it's been great. I think he can adjust to any role you give him. Today, it was more facilitating. You're always going to get his defense on a [nightly] basis, but today, he was amazing just passing the ball, getting guys open.”

Cason Wallace finished with a plus-21 rating, supplementing three points, three rebounds, and one steal to go with his seven dimes, including a flashy alley-oop to Hartenstein, in 33 minutes off the bench for the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led his team with 31 points on 10-of-27 shooting and 11-of-14 from the free-throw line. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in a dozen points and five rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Chet Holmgren after Thunder win

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Chet Holmgren (7) react after a play in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during game one of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center
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After the win, Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gushed over Chet Holmgren. The Thunder's assist leader in Game 1 says Holmgren made his presence felt in the second half.

For Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren was at his best.

“Chet was great. When he's the best version of himself, we're the best version of ourselves as a unit. It's no surprise. He affects the game at such a high level. From the moment he was on this basketball team, our win column went up and it's no surprise,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He's a special person and he's a special talent. He's the reason why we are who we are today.”

The Thunder will host the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.