Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Comeback Win over Minnesota Timberwolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached its 12th consecutive win of the regular season — the most in franchise history.

Dec 31, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) defends during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Out of all 27 wins the Oklahoma City Thunder has notched in the 2024-25 regular season thus far, its 113-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on New Year's Eve might've topped the list.

Thanks to a dominant 36-10 run in the final 8:30 of the third quarter, the Thunder tied its franchise record of 12 consecutive wins. The man who led the charge — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — scored a whopping 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander's point total doubled that of opposing star Anthony Edwards, who finished with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

With the win, Oklahoma City now has a five-game lead at the top of the Western Conference standings. There's no team particulary close to playing to its level in the West, and as long as it continues to win the way it is now, that isn't changing anytime soon.

Here are three takeaways from the eight-point win:

Shai's MVP Case Grows

Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case has only grown stronger as the season has progressed, but at this current point, it's hard to imagine another player winning the award over him in the end.

The 26-year-old is averaging 31 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on about 52/34/88% shooting splits. He's been playing the highest level at the guard position, and is the leading man behind the strongest force in the west.

Of course, Nikola Jokic's 31 points, 12.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game do have a case, the Denver Nuggets' record of 18-13 doesn't nearly compare to that of the Thunder. The best player on one of the top three teams in the league is a recipe for a win typically, and that should hold true for Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the last few years, Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the runners-up for the MVP, but has never officially won it. Right now, the trajectory looks to be in his favor.

Even Edwards had to give him with his flowers.

"The MVP of the NBA .... to me, he's unguardable," Edwards said. "I feel like he should have won it last year, but he's playing out his mind right now."

Defense Continues Dominance

It's been said so many times, but Oklahoma City's defense is special. There hasn't been this dominant of a defensive unit in a very long time in the NBA, even getting comparisons to that of the '90s Chicago Bulls and '60s Boston Celtics.

Looking at the stat sheet of the Thunder's win over the Timberwolves, it's easy to understand why.

Oklahoma City forced Minnesota to an incredibly high 24 turnovers, which accounted for an easy 31 points for the eventual winner. Cason Wallace and Gilgeous-Alexander ended the night with four steals each, while Jalen Williams followed behind with three of his own.

"They love to compete. They get energy from that," coach Mark Daigneault said. "It has a contagious effect inside the team."

The Thunder especially turned up the heat both on offense and defense in the third quarter, going from trailing 52-46 to leading 89-75. At every single position in the lineup, its players have the ability to switch, which gave the Timberwolves nightmares all game long.

Above the Rest

Now holding a five-game lead at the No. 1 seed in the West, its likely Oklahoma City will be holding onto that spot for a whole lot longer.

The No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies hold a commendable 23-11 record, but it doesn't compare to the rate that the Thunder is consistently beating other teams at. It has a record of 27-5, last losing to the Houston Rockets 119-116 on Dec. 1 — not counting its loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Final.

Each night, Oklahoma City looks more dominant than the last. Gilgeous-Alexander is performing like a clear choice for the MVP, it has an historic defense and has quality talent all the way down to the last man in the rotation. Everyone is bought into Daigneault's system, and it's clearly working.

There's lots of time left on the calendar, but there isn't another team in the West holding a candle to the Thunder. It isn't a guarantee, but a second-straight year of being the top team in the conference looks to be in the cards.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.