Oklahoma City - Before recalibrating the game, Oklahoma City Thunderbolt fell into false confidence before recalibration, lifting it up and hitting the ball after the knockout round.

Thunder is as precocious as they are, seducing you to think the game is done on your terms. Before you know it, you are a ball of frustration – realizing that the summer vacation is approaching with every loss.

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In the first game of the Western Conference Finals, this was obvious because even though the two hadn't seen it since February, the Minnesota Timberwolves felt good against their opponents.

It feels like the Thunder’s secondary score outside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is hard, he will fight Minnesota’s radical perimeter defense, and in the end, they have no answers to the hot Julius Randle.

All of this was half true before the Thunder Center beat the Thunder 114-88 to beat reality 114-88. Their second half was superb, with perfect execution as they surpassed the Timberwolves 70-40.

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The Timberwolves are highly wary of their lapses and the thunder thriving on the open floors – it has actually been burying into their minds in preparation for the series over the past few days.

Gilgeous-Alexander's topic came on the game, kicking off contacts, and sometimes the tricky officials saw was the Timberwolves' most important topic.

However, they fall into everything because that's what thunder makes you do. That's how the Thunders accumulate 68 wins without a super stage, when Chet Holmgren lost with a hip injury early this season, their second best player could lose with injuries.

So when the Timberwolves led by four quarters in the half, mainly on the back of Randle, from the 3-point range (6 points are 5 of 20 total points), it's easy to speculate that the Thunder are still wearing the Denver Nuggets smell, which would cost them the series.

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Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 13-2 in the first half, an ideal start for Minnesota to grab the first game.

Spoiler Alert: No.

“I think it’s a lot of mental resilience,” Thunder coach Mark Digneault said. "It's huge to play offensively and without being eliminated. We lost, but we weren't eliminated. We went from playing a very different style on both ends of the floor to an opponent, and the opponent's offense was more free and more free on offense and more defensive."

Maybe their thunder did interlaced, or maybe they struck the ropes while suffocating the Timberwolves' offense in the second half. If the Timberwolves didn't turn the ball over, or if they slide on the weak side whenever they turn their heads, they'll shoot too many 3-pointers, allowing the simulated passes and long arms to fly around the face.

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More than 60% of the Timberwolves' shooting attempts came from 3, up to 51 ships, resulting in their demise. Two minutes into the second half, that slight lead was quickly overturned, when the Timberwolves found themselves giving up the equivalent of six-sixths of the equivalent - the turnover immediately led to the other end of the scoring - their prime minister defender had foul trouble.

The Timberwolves were almost frightened and retreated, looking for defenders who weren't there. In a sense, even if the odds are small, at least it can fire heat for you.

But, insert the ball into all those long arms and limbs? It felt like it was inevitable, and it seemed like it played a role in their minds.

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“I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Jill Alksend said. "We were just trying to play our own identity. We tried to defend ourselves and brought life to us early in the game."

Randle's turnovers against the Golden State Warriors on the Tour were reduced, but he had five, while Anthony Edwards had four. Each shot only 13, and the Timberwolves scored 34.9% of the shot, 29.4% from 3.

Timberwolves Sub Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit 44% and 46% from the 3-point line in the Warriors series, respectively. They combined with Donte Divincenzo to shoot 28 (17.8%) from the deep in Game 1.

"Our defense is a huge catalyst. There is never a mistake...that's not what we say," Daigneault said. "We're talking about being aggressive in our help. When we do it, it tends to make mistakes, but it also creates a tough shot, and that's what we're going to do."

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Edwards did not put his stamps in the game as he expected, perhaps adapting to the mowing of the defenders, who took the medicine while trying to give Edwards his own little.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to be declared the league's most valuable player in the near future, sending every Timberwolves defender to the bench with the hassle and frustration of fouls. His main defender, Jaden McDaniels, committed his fourth foul on his third foul, and when he quit, the game turned around and then fouled within 23 minutes.

Edwards made a technical foul when the Thunder Star threw the ball on Gilgeous-Alexander while falling on the floor in the first half because he knew his free throw attempts kept the Thunder offense the same.

Even a win in Minnesota. Alexander-Walker was asked to foul his cousin when Gilgeous-Alexander hit the floor in the third quarter.

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Alexander-Walker was angry and called for a review from the bench. Officials determined that Gilgeous-Alexander had no contact, but Oklahoma City still had the ball while it was held by Gilgeous-Alexander.

With that, Kenrich Williams hit the jump shot and the hitting clock lowered, thus negating the business as a whole.

Gilgeous-Alexander didn't have a legendary night with just 27-point shooting percentage of 10 shots, but he kept on attacking and fouled over 31 points, 9 assists and 14 free throw attempts.

The Thunder were able to take the Timberwolves away with the best player they had with "C" Night, but he and Jalen Williams were great in the third inning to help the Thunder pull away, and Holmgren was actually everywhere on defense.

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“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They bring you a problem and you solve it.”

The Thunder threw a huge reward for the Timberwolves, and Minnesota will have two days to make up the reply.