Most people are looking at the Western Conference's biggest matchup between the superstars, Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It is an interesting dynamic because both of these players are megastars.
However, this upcoming series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder has more stories than that matchup. One of those includes the matchup between cousins Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Gilgeous-Alexander.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to pass around Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) in the second half at Target Center.
Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
This series is fascinating because the Thunder have been the favorite to win the West all season. It has not been easy for them in this postseason, especially since they went all seven games against the Denver Nuggets.
On the other hand, the Timberwolves had a rocky regular season, but they have been cruising in the Playoffs. They won both of their series in five games, so this will be their toughest test yet against the best team in the West. It will be interesting to see this matchup because there are plenty of storylines to follow.
A Matchup For The Family
While Gilgeous-Alexander is the bigger star, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has carved out a good career. After bouncing around the league in his first few seasons, he found a home with the Timberwolves.
Now, Alexander-Walker will play in the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. It is a testament to his hard work, as he went from almost out of the league to being a vital part of a contender's rotation.
Gilgeous-Alexander is excited about the matchup because he will play against his cousin.
"It will be very fun. It's hard to even explain, if you know how close we are, he's literally like my second brother. He's been through every stage of life for me," Gilgeous-Alexander said after the Thunder's Game 7 win against Denver. "We've gone through every situation together. To be where we are, it's special. To be competing against each other, it's special. But I am trying to take his head off for sure. Completely."
The Timberwolves Will Be A Tough Matchup For The Thunder
The Thunder are the favorites for the series, considering they had a fantastic regular season. However, people should never count out the Timberwolves.
The two teams played each other four times in the regular season, which they split 2-2. That is significant because most teams lost plenty of games to OKC, but Minnesota won as much as they lost.
Anthony Edwards and his supporting cast are a fantastic matchup for the Thunder. They have the depth to keep up with OKC, and Chris Finch is an excellent adversary to Mark Daigneault.