Because Oklahoma City's perimeter defenders are better than their counterparts on the Lakers and Warriors, the Thunder can stick with the Timberwolves' drivers, forcing awkward passes back out to the perimeter instead of high-percentage attempts at the rim.

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

Golden State hasn't shown it can keep up with Minnesota without Steph Curry. Can the Wolves stay locked in before his possible return?

Yes, part of that success stems from a relentless mentality instilled by underrated head coach Chris Finch. Yes, it helps that the Timberwolves ... It was a foolproof strategy to stymie ...