The Minnesota Timberwolves went 0-2 in the Western Conference Finals.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are under pressure again after failing to stop the Oklahoma City Thunder’s advantage again in a 118-103 Game 2 loss.
Fans are increasingly convinced that the series will become OKC’s sweep after unsolved results in the first two games of the Western Final.
Minnesota failed to include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the new crowd-worn NBA MVP offered with 38 points and eight assists.
Anthony Edwards responded to his 32-point struggle in Game 1, but his Timberwolves co-star Julius Randle disappeared this time, winning the fourth quarter bench from director Chris Finch.
In the blink of an eye, the Timberwolves realize they are worried about eliminating the postseason.
The team dominated the previous playoff round leading up to the Western Conference Finals, defeating both the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors with separate gentlemen’s sweeps.
Down 0-2 is a new experience for Minnesota, and they are currently being tested in a serious way.
For Nickeil Alexander-Walker, he doesn’t want to endure the same fate that he suffered at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 West Finals.
“I don’t think I’ve felt like losing last year and since I got so close,” Alexander Walker confessed after the game two match after losing 17 points from the bench.
“That’s my biggest memory, and as a competitor, losing needs to be a motivation to win and play together to achieve something you’ve never achieved before.
“This is a great group and I believe in this group. We feel that it has what it needs. So if we don’t bring that competitiveness to win, it’s going to be a huge disappointment.”
Last season, the Timberwolves also dominated the 2024 NBA playoffs, wiping out the Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns in the opening round and ended their back-to-back bids in the Denver Nuggets’ tough seven-game second round showdown.
However, once they reached the West Final, the Timberwolves were humbled by Luka Donsic and the Dallas Mavericks, losing the first two games of the series at home towards a 4-1 playoff elimination.
With this, the Timberwolves need to stop repeating history, and it all starts with Game 3 on May 24th.