The main focus following Game 1 of the Western Conference finals has revolved around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his foul-baiting tactics. Many fans and analysts scrutinized every call that went in favor of him during the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Timberwolves appeared visibly frustrated by the favorable treatment Gilgeous-Alexander received, which prompted Coach Chris Finch to stress the need for his team to manage their emotions better in the upcoming Game 2.

“There was a lot of frustration out there, but we talked about that before the series started,” Finch noted. “We have to be able to put that to the side [and have a] get on with the next play mentality.”

Gilgeous-Alexander achieved a remarkable 14 free-throw attempts, the highest he has recorded in the postseason. However, the Timberwolves should prioritize larger concerns as they prepare for the next game.

1. Curbing Turnovers

In Game 1, the Timberwolves committed 19 turnovers, with six occurring in the first quarter alone. Players Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels had four of those turnovers, followed by Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo contributing to the count as well.

Effective defense from the Thunder resulted in numerous turnovers for the Wolves, and both Edwards and Randle must improve in this area. Edwards acknowledged his mistakes, stating, “I’m always gonna hold myself accountable, five turnovers is way too much.”

2. Edwards Needs to Make Adjustments

Anthony Edwards is well aware that he fell short of his performance expectations, finishing with just 13 points on a challenging 5 of 13 from the field. Despite tweaking his ankle, he indicated that didn’t hinder his gameplay upon his return. He emphasized the necessity to be more aggressive, stating, “I definitely gotta shoot more, I only took 13 f—ing shots.”

In Game 2, he plans to adapt by playing off the ball more, anticipating that this will help him overcome the Thunder’s defensive strategies.

3. Poor Execution on Open Looks

The Timberwolves had numerous open shots, specifically 30 of their 51 3-point attempts came without a defender closer than six feet, but they only converted on eight. Randle had a standout performance early but fell silent in the second half.

As Edwards remarked, “They got great looks, just couldn’t make them,” and players must capitalize in forthcoming games to avoid another extensive loss.