Minnesota hadn't played in nearly a week and Oklahoma City had just played in a Game 7 two days earlier. It was the Timberwolves who lacked energy as the Thunder rolled to a 114-88 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are back in the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2016, riding a dominant defensive performance and a resilient young core. Now, they prepare for an intense showdown with the Timberwolves.

Oklahoma City routed Denver in a rowdy Game 7 atmosphere inside Paycom Center to advance to the next round. Let's take a look at three takeaways from the game.