The Western Conference Finals are set with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves facing each other. The matchup pits two of the better young players in the league against one another: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder and Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves.
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Fans are very excited about this matchup, and this series should be electric between two good teams. One of these two young stars will then take the stage in the NBA Finals, cementing their status among the best in the league.
Ahead of the series starting, some old comments from Edwards about Gilgeous-Alexander have resurfaced. During All-Star weekend, Edwards spoke with longtime NBA personality Stephen A. Smith and declared himself the better player between the two guards.
"I feel like I'm a better player than [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Dončić].", he said.
Edwards certainly doesn't lack any confidence, and always enters a game believing that he is the best on the floor. This mindset has allowed him to thrive in the NBA, and is why many people believe that he could take over as the next face of the league.
However, if Edwards wants to make that happen, he will need to win a title first. The Timberwolves were in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, but fell short against the Dallas Mavericks.
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Minnesota is now back and will have a chance to redeem itself against Oklahoma City. Edwards will also be able to shut down any talk about him and Gilgeous-Alexander if the Timberwolves can advance.
For the season, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. In comparison, Edwards put up 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the likely MVP of the league this season, and the Thunder were the best team all year. They will be entering the series as the heavy favorites, but the Timberwolves may have some tricks up their sleeve.
Minnesota is one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, and they have been clicking on all cylinders in the postseason. The Timberwolves have only played 10 postseason games this year, so they should be completely refreshed for this matchup.
Game 1 between these two teams is set for Tuesday, May 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM.