After a dominating second half in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a commanding lead in the Western Conference Finals on Thursday with newly named Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous Alexander at the help.

The Dallas Mavericks went from an unpleasant outlook of their own making to one that looks much brighter after one ping pong ball fell in their favor.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star posted 38 points and eight assists in a 118-103 win to take a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves, who now have the unenviable task of needing to take four out of five from the league's top team by record to reach the NBA Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to enjoy a week off before the 2025 NBA playoffs. Like last year, the first-seed won't know who their Round 1 opponent will be until Friday night. After the first two play-in tournament games,

The NBA Playoffs are largely about what translates from the regular season and what doesn't. The Oklahoma City Thunder were a juggernaut in the 82-game marathon

The Thunder could have landed a third pick, which was the Philadelphia 76ers' first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It was top-six protected, and it landed at pick No. 3. The first overall pick went to the Dallas Mavericks, who will likely select Duke 's Cooper Flagg.

Dallas Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney has learned from Jason Kidd, is from Saint Paul, Minnesota and stands on business. Described by league sources as someone who has an unrivaled work ethic, Sweeney is one of several candidates for the Phoenix Suns head coaching vacancy.

Behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs to advance to the 2012 NBA Finals. The Thunder faced LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the finals, losing the series in five games.

Alexander's first NBA MVP trophy gave him an overflow of energy when he returned to the court, but he tamed the electricity to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2024-25 NBA MVP award and his mother was one of the first to congratulate him.

Dallas was about middle-of-the-pack in the NBA this year with protecting the ball, but the Thunder likely would've been able to take advantage of the Mavs' lack of point guards. The Mavericks may ...