The Oklahoma City Thunder wasted little time reminding the Western Conference why they entered the postseason as the top seed. Behind 25 points from reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder rolled past the Phoenix Suns 119–84 on Sunday night to take a 1–0 lead in their first-round playoff series and begin their title defense in commanding fashion.
Despite an off shooting night from the field, Gilgeous-Alexander controlled the game with poise and efficiency. He connected on just 5 of 18 shots but repeatedly attacked the rim and drew contact, finishing 15 of 17 from the free throw line before sitting out the entire fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
Jalen Williams added 22 points and Chet Holmgren contributed 16, including one of the night’s signature moments a buzzer beating 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter that capped a decisive early Thunder surge.
Phoenix briefly grabbed momentum early, opening the game on a 5–0 run after Oklahoma City showed some rust following a week off. That advantage quickly disappeared. After Dillon Brooks was assessed a flagrant one foul for striking Holmgren in the face, the Thunder responded with a 12–2 run to seize control at 24–14.
Holmgren’s deep corner triple as time expired in the first quarter pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 35–20 and set the tone for the rest of the night.
The Thunder never looked back.
By halftime, Oklahoma City had stretched the lead to 65–44 behind 16 first-half points from Holmgren and 15 from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Suns struggled to generate consistent offense and couldn’t slow the Thunder’s balanced attack on the other end.
Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another key highlight late in the third quarter, converting a three-point play that extended the margin to 90–63. Oklahoma City carried a commanding 97–66 advantage into the fourth, allowing head coach Mark Daigneault to comfortably lean on his depth.
Nine Thunder players logged at least 13 minutes, underscoring the team’s balance and fresh legs heading deeper into the series.
Phoenix, which secured the No. 8 seed by defeating Golden State in the play-in tournament, never found its rhythm offensively. Devin Booker led the Suns with 23 points, while Brooks scored 18 on 6-of-22 shooting. Jalen Green who erupted for 35 and 36 points in Phoenix’s two play-in victories was held to 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting. As a team, the Suns shot just 34.9% from the field.
Sunday’s performance continued a recent trend for Oklahoma City. It marked the third straight season the Thunder earned the Western Conference’s top seed and opened the playoffs with a strong Game 1 showing. Two years ago, they edged New Orleans 94–92 in their opener, and last season they began their championship run with a 131–80 blowout of Memphis.
Now, the Thunder are once again off to a powerful start.
Game 2 of the series is set for Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder will look to tighten their grip on the matchup and move one step closer to another deep postseason run.
