Methods geared towards stopping the Oklahoma City Thunder’s third-ranked offense from putting on a downpour certainly aren’t plentiful, but in Game One of 2025’s West Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves arrived with something quite useful: a 6-foot-9, 185-pound umbrella. With the persistence of an extended car warranty salesman, McDaniels makes himself a shadow for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s every step, keeping tightly attached, even as the newly-named Most Valuable Player craftily spins into the paint. Presented, eventually, with the opportunity to pair his pesky defense with a box score contribution, McDaniels cashes in, using a perfectly-timed leap and swat to keep the Wolves’ lockdown defense message alive. The 68-win Thunder ultimately found their footing in the second half, firing on enough cylinders to take a 1-0 series edge in the best-of-seven series. Nevertheless productive when called upon, McDaniels closed May 20, 2025’s evening with seven points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block, one 3-pointer, and four shot contests. · May 21, 2025