May 29 (UPI) -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remembers Oklahoma City Thunder's recent past as an NBA cellar dweller and said he believes his team is still "getting better" after dominating the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach the NBA Finals.
The NBA MVP poured in 34 points, including 20 in the first half, to lead all scorers in a 124-94 demolition in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The Thunder led by as many as 39 points in the series finale, which had just one lead change.
"Obviously happy for the moment, but this isn't our goal," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. "This isn't the end of the road. There was no special conversation. It was just, let's keep getting better. One more series to go.
"We are a step closer to our goal, and we're happy about that. But there are still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win. We need to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal."
The Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks next week in the NBA Finals. The Pacers lead the Knicks 3-1 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
Just four seasons ago, the Thunder were among the worst teams in the league. The Gilgeous-Alexander-led young roster is now surging into the Thunder's first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
The Thunder, who led the NBA with 68 regular-season wins, are among the most balanced teams in the league, with the No. 4 offense and No. 3 defense.
That dominance has continued in the playoffs, with just four losses through their first three postseason series.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a series-best 31.4 points per game in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder dished out 124 assists against just 68 turnovers over the five-game series. The Timberwolves logged 114 assists and 87 turnovers, including 21 in the series finale.
"Obviously, up 3-1, it's easy to drift ahead and we didn't do that at all," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "We just played the next possession and did a great job, just stacked them up and kept the foot on the gas for the entire 48 minutes."
The Thunder outscored the Timberwolves 54-42 in the paint and 19-11 off fast breaks in their Game 5 win. They outshot the visitors 52.3% to 41.2%, including a 40% hit rate from 3-point range. They held a 26-16 advantage in assists.
Forward Julius Randle hit a 3-pointer 25 seconds into the contest to give the Timberwolves an initial lead. Thunder forward Chet Holmgren hit a game-tying 3-pointer less than two minutes later, and the Timberwolves never led again. Oklahoma City outscored Minnesota 26-6 over the final 9:42 of the first quarter to carry a 26-9 lead into the second.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter. The Timberwolves made just three of their first 20 shots, including a 1 for 9 clip from 3-point range. The Timberwolves missed their final seven attempts of the first quarter.
The Thunder continued to pour it on with another 39 points in the second quarter. They went on an early 11-1 run for a 26-point edge and carried a 65-32 lead into the break. Thunder forward Jalen Williams scored 13 points in the second quarter. The Timberwolves logged 10 of their 14 first-half turnovers in the frame.
Star guard Anthony Edwards and forward Julius Randle helped Minnesota find life in the third quarter, when they outscored Oklahoma City 30-23. Randle scored 13 points, while Edwards added 10 in the frame.
The Thunder, who rested their starters with about 5:14 remaining, outscored the Timberwolves 36-32 over the final 12 minutes to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.
"They dominated the game from the tip," said Edwards, who scored 19 points. "I can't do nothing but tip my cap to those guys. They came ready. Good job by them."
Randle totaled 24 points in the loss. Holmgren logged 22 for the Thunder. Williams chipped in 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Gilgeous-Alexander logged eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in addition to his 34 points. He made 14 of his 25 attempts.
The Thunder will serve as NBA Finals host at 8:30 p.m. EDT June 5. The Pacers will face the Knicks in Game 5 at 8 p.m. Thursday in New York.
