Michael Jordan’s famous rival sees Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. using his old blueprint on Anthony Edwards

The OKC Thunder didn’t have much trouble moving past the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5. They held Chris Finch’s team to a nine-point first quarter, and it was all downhill from there. The Timberwolves led 3-0, and they trailed for the remainder of the game, with the Thunder leading by 39 at some point.

Once again, they did an outstanding job of keeping Anthony Edwards out of rhythm. He had nine points in the first half and finished the game with 19 points on 18 shots, seven of which came from beyond the arc.

During the halftime show, NBA legend Isiah Thomas explained that Mark Daigneault seemed to take a page out of the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons’ book. They also tried to turn Michael Jordan into a jumpshooter so they could limit their long-time rival’s explosiveness:

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"His athleticism was so great that we couldn't leave him around the rim," Thomas said. "We wanted to make (Jordan) a jump shooter. That's what OKC right now is doing to Minnesota."

Edwards has often been compared to Jordan because of his athleticism and explosiveness, and while he's improved as a three-point shooter, that's not what he's better at. The Thunder held him to under 20 points in three of their five playoff games, and he shot under 40% from the floor three times as well.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praises OKC Thunder teammates after punching ticket to NBA Finals

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another big night for the Thunder, scoring 34 points on 25 shots to go along with seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, two three-pointers, and only four free throws.

Even so, the reigning MVP claimed that he wouldn't have been able to do any of that without his teammates, and while there's still plenty of work to be done, he wanted to give them their flowers ahead of the NBA Finals:

"Of course, I want to thank my teammates. Without them, I’m nothing. Clear as day. I don't have 124 points by myself. I love these guys to death. This is a step in the right direction. We have a lot more work to do. We know that and that’s what we're focusing on."

The Thunder can now sit back and wait to see whether the Indiana Pacers can punch their ticket on Thursday night or if the New York Knicks will force Game 6. Whatever the case, they should be the odds-on favorites to win the whole thing this season.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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