For anyone who thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would struggle with the Minnesota Timberwolves, they got a loud wakeup call

The Thunder were the best team in the NBA all season for a reason. They harass you physically on both ends of the floor, with relentless defensive ball pressure and a constant attacking of the rim on offense.

The Oklahoma City Thunder thrashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 to earn a statement win at home in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

See our top photos from Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves at Paycom Center.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves will meet tonight at 8:30 p.m. for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. You can catch the action on ESPN, with streaming options available on FuboTV, Sling and DirecTV.

Surely, when Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti pulled the trigger on the rare ‘one-for-one’ swap of Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso with the Chicago Bulls last summer, this was the sort of playoff impact he was hoping for.

Geoff Schwartz is back with his best bets for Timberwolves vs. Thunder. Find out why he thinks you should trust the Thunder to end this before a Game 7.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season long. That shouldn't stop in the Conference Finals

The sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder meet in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Tuesday.

The Pacers are the hottest team remaining in the playoff field and could surge to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, when they beat New York to reach the championship round. It is going to be absolute NBA cinema to watch Tyrese Haliburton battle Brunson late in big spots.