Signs of frustration have been evident for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals against an Oklahoma City Thunder team chasing its first title with a mix of poise, precision and relentlessness unseen anywhere else in these NBA playoffs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made an impressive return to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, led by rising superstar Anthony

A day after being crowned the NBA’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to open up a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Minnesota Timberwolves Forward Julius Randle was benched last night during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In total, Randle had just 6 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder take a 2-0 lead in WCF series to Minnesota, and former Celtic Paul Pierce thinks series is over

Down 22 to start the frame, the Wolves had Oklahoma City’s advantage whittled down to 10 with three minutes to play. Jaden McDaniels noted Minnesota had success getting the ball out of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s hands with the use of multiple defenders and then, when that resulted in stops, pushing immediately the other way on offense.

Alexander was the No. 3 scorer on the team on Thursday, going for 17 points off the bench behind star Anthony Edwards (32 points) and Jaden McDaniels (22 points). Those numbers are part of a winning formula for the Wolves, but the six points that star forward Julius Randle had are a sore spot for the team.

The Nuggets dug out of an 0-2 hole against the Timberwolves in last year’s playoffs. Can Minnesota do the same against the Thunder?