The Oklahoma City Thunder got off to a slow start in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, scoring just 44 points in the first half and going into halftime trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by four points.
But the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference found their footing in the second half, outscoring the Timberwolves 70-40 to win 114-88 and seize an early lead in the series.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a big part of the second-half rally, scoring 20 of his 31 points after halftime while going 8-of-14. After the game, the MVP candidate gave credit to the home crowd for giving the team the energy to sustain runs -- while helping to stop Minnesota's runs in their tracks.
"They do a great job of rallying behind us, whether it's they go on a run or we go on a run," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It feels like their runs aren't too big and our runs are huge. So they do a great job keeping energy behind us. It's homecourt advantage for a reason."
Gilgeous-Alexander added that he didn't let a slow start to the game change his approach, continuing to attack the Timberwolves' defense in the second half.
“I didn’t particularly change my mindset, honestly,” he said. “I just tried to continue to be aggressive, trust my work.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault gave credit to his team's defense as well, saying their ability to keep the game close in the first half is what set them up for the scorching second-half performance.
“For us to play as poorly as we did offensively in the first half and be down four was a major victory for us at halftime," Daigneault said.