Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not have his shot going in the first half of Game 1 of the Oklahoma City Thunder's Western Conference Finals clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He went just 2-13 from the field and couldn't get into a rhythm, as he had to force his way to the foul line over and over just to manufacture points for OKC and keep them within striking distance. But in the second half, Gilgeous-Alexander found his groove, going 8-14 from the field to finish with a game-high 31 points on the night in a 114-88 victory.

Gilgeous-Alexander did find it difficult at times to get to his spots, which is a testament to how well the Timberwolves, particularly Jaden McDaniels and his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker, were guarding him. But the likely winner of the 2025 NBA MVP award vowed to find a solution to everything Minnesota would throw his way.

“Feels like a little more physical, but at the end of the night, it’s basketball. They throw you a problem, you have to solve it, whatever it looks like. That's what it is every night. That's what it was tonight. They had different coverages, different personnel out there and we have to attack it and work together as a unit to solve the problems and we did that tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in his postgame presser, via ClutchPoints' Thunder beat reporter Josue Pavon.

With Gilgeous-Alexander being an unstoppable scoring force that even on poor shooting nights, he can still drop 30, the Timberwolves are going to have to throw the kitchen sink at him. And the Thunder star is the likely MVP for a reason, because he does not shy away from any challenge his opponents throw at him.

Teams can only go as far in the playoffs as their best player takes them, and Gilgeous-Alexander looks poised to continue bringing the Thunder with him all the way to the promised land.

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In the first half, it was clear that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was putting the Timberwolves on tilt. Anthony Edwards was so frustrated that he threw the ball at Gilgeous-Alexander, warranting a technical foul and giving the Thunder a free point in the process.

Gilgeous-Alexander may be jeered for being a “free-throw merchant”, but he wouldn't care one bit if it leads to winning basketball. That's all that matters to the 26-year-old guard at the end of the day anyway, and if they continue on in this trajectory, the Thunder could very well end up winning it all.