Dean Blevins: OKC Thunder silence doubters with win over Timberwolves

On a night where studio talking heads loudly proclaimed the OKC Thunder too young and not respected enough to win an NBA championship, the young pups produced a bark, louder than all.

The win in Minneapolis over the Wolves sets up a rubber-match Monday in downtown OKC. The Thunder were upset before the All-Star break but bounced back in a game they at times dominated and ultimately prevailed over the Ant Man and Co.

The sharps like OKC. A lot. As in an 11.5-point favorite over an overmatched but talented bunch of Wolves from the north.

After starting emphatically with focus and precision and building a 19-point second quarter lead, OKC let its guard down and went to the locker room down two.

When it became money time Big Blue stepped up. Like men on a mission. Young and talented men on a mission. A mission to shut up the naysayers who question whether this team -- on a pace to set an all-time NBA record for scoring differential – is mature enough to take on an NBA Finals matchup with Boston or Cleveland.

They looked the part last night. Did you notice Alex Caruso getting game-defining minutes; this after missing time due to injury for a fifth time. The former Aggie didn’t look rusty last night netting three triples in a row. How about Aaron Wiggins? One of the best kept secrets in all North American sports – joking, but the cat can really go – drained all four 3-point attempts while wreaking havoc on both ends.

The concern of the ESPN Espousers about how effective Chet Holmgren will be coming off a fractured pelvis that kept him out half a season? The 7-foot-1 Gonzagan is just fine, thank you. Drilling threes in the clutch like it was Sunday morning shootaround after church.

The Thunder should win Monday night's rubber match. But like always, there’ll be stretches when the game is in doubt. But in the end, the lethal MVP favorite, will execute the winning formula from the Smartest Man in The Building (head coach Mark Daigneault) and find one of myriad ways to prevail.

Or, maybe not. But by virtue of the hay that is in the barn from a never-expected start for the ages, the Thunder has time to answer questions. From Bennett to Presti to Daigneault to willing players, answering questions has been the secret sauce since that night Chet took that titanic tumble.

That’s one of the benefits of leading your freaking conference on February 24, by nine and a half games.