The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs on Friday night, defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-95 in the play-in game. The Wolves were led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had 24 points and six assists in his first start of the season.
Alexander-Walker, who was acquired from the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline, was the X-factor for the Wolves in the win. He was a spark off the bench in the regular season, but he took his game to another level in the play-in game. He was aggressive on offense and he played lockdown defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was held to just 15 points. The Wolves also got a big game from Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds. Anthony Edwards added 18 points and seven rebounds.
The Wolves will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies are the 2nd seed in the West, but the Wolves will be confident after their win over the Thunder.
Alexander-Walker's Performance Alexander-Walker's performance was a major reason why the Wolves were able to win the play-in game. He was a spark off the bench in the regular season, but he took his game to another level in the playoffs. He was aggressive on offense and he played lockdown defense on Gilgeous-Alexander.
Alexander-Walker's performance was a major boost for the Wolves. He gave them a third scorer who could create his own shot. He also played great defense, which helped the Wolves slow down the Thunder's offense.
The Future Looks Bright for the Wolves The Wolves have a bright future. They have a young core of players in Towns, Edwards, and Alexander-Walker. They also have a good coach in Chris Finch. The Wolves will face a tough challenge in the first round against the Grizzlies, but they have the talent to make some noise in the playoffs.