In the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ Game 1 loss to Oklahoma City, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tried to drive right past his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Shai fell down, and the official called a foul on Nickeil.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker shut down his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in a play-in victory in 2023 that sent the Thunder home and clinched the Timberwolves’ second consecutive playoff berth.

Expect the Timberwolves to throw multiple defenders at Gilgeous-Alexander. There's no true SGA stopper in the NBA. It'll be a group effort if Minnesota hopes to make him earn his inevitable 30 points. Alexander-Walker will be one of the defenders assigned to stop his cousin.