The Oklahoma City Thunder continued the dominance they showed for most of this season by thrashing the Minnesota Timberwolves with a final score of 124-94 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday.
In doing so, they advanced to the NBA Finals and will await the winner of the Indiana Pacers–New York Knicks Eastern Conference finals series.
While league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another dazzling performance on Wednedsay, Minnesota star Anthony Edwards had another subpar one. He has now lost in the West finals for a second year in a row, but after Game 5, he showed some sympathy for one of his teammates.
He said that he feels bad for veteran teammate Mike Conley, who is in his 18th NBA season and has never played in a championship series.
Conley has long been a reliable point guard and floor general. About a decade ago, he was a borderline All-Star for the Memphis Grizzlies back when they were consistent threats during their “Grit and Grind” era.
Those Grizzlies reached the Western Conference finals once in 2013, but that was the zenith of their success.
Edwards, on the other hand, is just 23 years of age and still has plenty of room for improvement.
As spectacular as he has been at times, he has been inconsistent in the playoffs for a second year in a row. Becoming a more consistent player, especially in terms of his shooting efficiency, is likely the next step for him when it comes to becoming a true superstar who can carry his team to a championship.
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