Following Saturday’s 42-point blowout loss, the Thunder knew they needed to come out with a sense of urgency to win tonight’s Game 4. That’s exactly what they did. Showcasing their elite defense from the get go, they completely shut down Anthony Edwards, limiting him to just 16 points. His lowest scoring game of this series. But even with their biggest superstar struggling, the Timberwolves kept the competition close and took the game down to the wire. A lot of it because of Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s sudden scoring outburst!

Yes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s cousin played arguably his best game of these playoffs, dropping 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting. He knocked down five three pointers and had OKC stressed out all game. Although the Thunder survived with a two-point win, SGA acknowledged that Walker was very close to stealing the game from their grasp. “Yeah, it was close to it. Hell of a game. They’re a really good team, so you try to do a good job on their main guys and their B, C, and D guys get off and they’re a really good team and you gotta try to do the job all the way around.” The MVP said postgame.

The bench duo of NAW and Donte DiVincenzo formed a potent scoring punch that helped keep Minnesota in the game despite underwhelming performances from stars like Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards. Together, they poured in 44 of the Timberwolves’ 64 bench points—more than double Oklahoma City’s total of 27—underscoring the critical role of Minnesota’s second unit in Game 4.

Walker’s perimeter shooting was especially impactful. He knocked down five of Minnesota’s 18 made threes, accounting for nearly 28% of the team’s 43.9% shooting from deep (18-of-41). In a game where the stars faltered, it was the bench—and particularly Alexander-Walker’s hot hand—that kept the Timberwolves within striking distance.

He continued praising his cousin, “It’s harder than it looks but they’re a good team. So, guys are gonna play well. We’re just gonna have to figure out how to win. And we got a win tonight, so we’re happy.” Well, it took a playoffs career high 40-point double-double from Shai to counter NAW’s scoring outburst and lead OKC to victory. Regardless, he was ecstatic after gaining a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Now, the MVP is ready to move on to the next encounter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not lying about trying to take Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s “head off” as OKC moves closer to NBA Finals

Before the West Finals began, Shai revealed his excitement about facing his cousin in the playoffs, “It will be very fun. It’s hard to even explain, if you know how close we are, he’s literally like my second brother. He’s been through every stage of life for me. We’ve gone through every situation together. To be where we are, it’s special. To be competing against each other, it’s special.” However, the MVP made it clear that he was not going to go easy on Walker because of their tight bond, “I am trying to take his head off for sure. Completely.”

Even Nickeil highlighted the competitive atmosphere in their household, as he revealed his mom’s message to SGA’s dad, “My mom called me and told me that she texted Shai’s dad saying, ‘Oh, it’s war now.’” Well, that’s exactly the kind of mindset the two cousins have been playing with so far. Sure, Walker is not as big a superstar as Shai, but he proved his worth tonight by keeping the Timberwolves in the game until the very end. However, OKC’s talent was too much to handle for the Wolves, especially with Ant-Man struggling.

Moreover, SGA has no intention of taking his foot off the gas, as OKC is just one win away from the NBA Finals. “Play to our identity on both ends of the floor. If we do that, we’ll be just fine. If not, it could get ugly. So, we just gotta be who we are and trust our work, trust our habits.” He said, revealing his team’s mindset for Game 5. Do you think Shai and Co. will send his cousin and the Timberwolves packing on Wednesday?