The possiblity of fatigue playing a factor after getting just over 48 hours of rest in between rounds two and three may have been a hot-topic concern coming into Tuesday's opener, but the OKC Thunder wound up coasting to a commanding Game 1 win over Minnesota anyway, downing the visiting Timberwolves by a final score of 114-88.
Though there were certainly signs of struggles from the jump, such as Oklahoma City going 1-for-6 through the first 4:39 of play and the team committing 12 fouls in the first half alone, as a result of their early turmoil, the ball club's immense depth was given the green light to work its magic.
It goes without saying, this particular luxury did not disappoint.
Thunder show off elite depth during Game 1 win over Timberwolves
Yet again, coach Mark Daigneault dug deep into his rotation during this series opener, rolling out nine different players with at least nine minutes played.
While it's impressive on its own to note that all of said ballers managed to contribute in the scoring department, easily the most worthwhile attribute showcased from this group was their ability to step up on the less glamorous side of the ball.
As mentioned earlier, the Thunder found themselves dealing with foul trouble early and often during the contest, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort, in particular, being limited throughout due to four and five personals, respectively.
As a way to make up for these troubles, OKC looked to guys like Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace to log some meaningful second-half minutes.
Despite his relative inactivity thus far in the postseason (he has played less than 40 minutes total through two full rounds), Williams came in and made a difference on both ends of the floor, serving as a steady off-ball shooter by logging 8 points on 100.0 percent shooting and hitting two consecutive triples late in the third to push the Thunder's lead to nine (71-62).
He would also play some rock-solid defense against the likes of Julius Randle, who, following a hot 20-point first half, faded during the final two periods of play, where he would only add in 8 more.
As a whole, the Wolves would post just 40 points combined in the second half of action compared to the Thunder's 70.
Wallace, meanwhile, didn't wind up posting anything close to earth-shattering numbers, but his impact was felt in areas that don't necessarily show up in the highlight reels, such as in the distribution (dished out seven dimes) and hustle departments.
It's no surprise that the sophomore wrapped up the night with the second-best plus-minus rating behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at +21.
This win was largely due to Oklahoma City's tremendous bench depth holding down the fort on both ends of the ball, which not only paid dividends on the score board, but also when it comes to giving those in need of rest ample time to do so, as only Jalen Williams (33:08), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33:03), and sixth-man Cason Wallace (33:03) saw over 30 minutes played on the team.