Thunder take 2-0 West finals lead behind Gilgeous-Alexander's 38 - ESPN

OKLAHOMA CITY — Butterflies fluttered in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stomach as his teammates and the fans who packed the Paycom Center roared while he raised the MVP trophy above his head minutes before the opening tip of Thursday's Game 2.

«I was a little bit too juiced up,» Gilgeous-Alexander said of the emotions flowing through him at the moment.

Gilgeous-Alexander settled down soon enough, coming through with a performance that displayed why he was worthy of the NBA's highest individual honor, leading the Thunder to a 118-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that gave the top seed a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander picked apart the Minnesota defense for 38 points — matching his playoff career high — on 12-of-21 shooting. He also had eight assists and contributed to Oklahoma City's defensive chaos with three steals.

«It keeps the team at ease that he's able to flip the page as quick as he is,» said Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. «It kind of gets us in the same mode.»

Gilgeous-Alexander kidded that he got caught up in the moment and considered forcing the first few shots of the game.

«I was like, 'Nah, that's probably not the way to go,'» said Gilgeous-Alexander, who attempted only three shots in the first quarter, making all of them. «I wanted to just let the game come to me. Lean on my teammates, play through them, play off of them. I just didn't want to force the issue. Let the game come to me.»

Gilgeous-Alexander was ready when the opportunity to take over the game arrived. He scored eight points in the final 3:18 of the first half — including a step-back 3-pointer and a pair of free throws in the final 16 seconds — as the Thunder