OKLAHOMA CITY — Two years ago, the Thunder and Timberwolves met in the play-in tournament to determine which would get the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Now, they’ll face off for a trip to the NBA Finals.

The Wolves won that play-in game in 2023, but that was in Minneapolis. The Thunder have homecourt in this series and will host Game 1 of the West finals on Tuesday.

The Thunder earned the top seed in the playoffs after posting a franchise-best 68-14 record in the regular season. The Wolves are seeded sixth, but they closed the regular season by winning 17 of 21 games. The teams are 2-2 against each other this season, with each claiming a win on the other’s floor.

This is the Thunder’s first trip to the conference finals since 2016. The Wolves reached the West finals last season and lost to the Mavericks.

“Certainly last year’s experience helps a ton, and that’s what really this is all about — layering these experiences on top of each other so you can draw from them time and again and gain confidence,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said.

The ascent of both teams has coincided with the rise of their superstars — the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Wolves’ Anthony Edwards.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 35 points in a Game 7 victory over the Nuggets in the conference semifinals and has averaged 29.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the playoffs. Edwards is averaging 26.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists in the postseason.

Neither player has reached the NBA Finals.

‘Legend killer’

Pro wrestling star Randy Orton has recognized Edwards as the “Legend killer” for sending some of the league’s royalty packing early the last two years.

Orton, who has long had the gimmick in World Wrestling Entertainment for defeating and sometimes embarrassing older stars, acknowledged Edwards on a post that has garnered more than 11 million views on X. In a cartoon of the two, Orton is handing Edwards a gold chain with a large pendant shaped into the words “Legend killer.”

Edwards has earned the recognition. Last year, his Wolves knocked out Kevin Durant’s Suns in the first round and the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic in the second. This year, it’s been Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the first round and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry in the second.

Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time finalist for MVP who put Jokic out this season, could be next.

Key veteran

Thunder guard Alex Caruso has stepped up in the postseason.

The offseason pickup who won a title with the Lakers in 2020 has been a menace as a reserve in the playoffs.

In the regular season, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals in just over 19 minutes per game. Those numbers have jumped to 9.3 points, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per contest.

In Game 7 against the Nuggets, his defense was a key reason the Thunder held Jokic to 20 points.