It takes more than one player to win a game in the NBA, especially in the Western Conference finals. Despite a 31-point outing from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder got help from everywhere to earn a hard-fought 114-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the series.

OKC struggled for the first half and the opening parts of the second, with Gilgeous-Alexander locked down and general troubles defending the 3-point line. During those bad parts, a stable force was forward Jalen Williams. He finished the evening with 19 points on 7-for-18 shooting, but he crafted a complete game outside of the scoring column, as well.

Williams added eight rebounds, five assists and five steals to his stat line, giving Gilgeous-Alexander the most overall help compared to any other Thunder player. Williams' defense never faltered, proven by his five steals, while also bringing the ball up the court to alleviate ball-handling pressure for Gilgeous-Alexander.

Big man Chet Holmgren also helped out a fair bit, given it came later in the game. He eventually racked up 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, but came alive at the end of the third quarter and beyond while the Thunder made a charge.

He added two blocks to that, one of which was a momentum-creating swat on Jaden McDaniels. Once Holmgren became more aggressive and found himself at the right spots at the right time, scoring opportunities came more frequently.

It seems like defensive mastermind Alex Caruso has found ways to contribute in each playoff game he's been a part of this postseason, which was the case again in Game 1. His stat line isn't anywhere close to reflecting his impact, despite knocking down three shots from the perimeter. Like usual, he did most of his damage on the defensive end.

Caruso wasn't on Minnesota's star guard Anthony Edwards all night, but his on-ball defensive efforts can definitely be grouped in when it comes to Edwards' quiet second half. He did not score a single point in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 by the game's end, never truly finding his rhythm.

He also helped defend Julius Randle all game, who only scored eight points in the second half compared to his 20 in the first. Again, Caruso wasn't the only person to defend Randle, but there's no denying that Caruso wasn't a part of that quiet second-half performance.

Those three were the most obvious helpers, but there were others as well. Bench forward Kenrich Williams stepped in and scored eight points, five of which came during a key stretch of the game. Guard Cason Wallace, who was the first man off the bench for Oklahoma City, had the second-highest plus-minus value of plus-21, only behind Gilgeous-Alexander.

Despite only scoring three points, Wallace made contributions as a floor-spacer and defender. He also racked up seven assists, the second-most on the team again behind Gilgeous-Alexander.

Oklahoma City's depth was on full display in Game 1, an occurrence that hasn't fully been highlighted yet. If Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast can continue that level of play while he improves his efficiency, stopping the Thunder this postseason will become a much larger challenge.

Game 2 of the series will stay in Oklahoma City at the Paycom Center, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 22.