The Oklahoma City Thunder start the playoffs with a clear statement. The defending champions showed their class from the outset against the Phoenix Suns and decided the game early on, ultimately winning by a clear 119:84.
An open exchange of blows developed at the start, in which the Suns initially got off to the better start (5:0). However, Oklahoma City quickly found its rhythm, especially in defense. As the game progressed, the home side took control and pulled away thanks to its aggressive defense and quick transition play. Chet Holmgren set the tone early on and crowned a strong first quarter with a three at the buzzer to increase the lead considerably (35:20).
The game turned completely in the second period. Oklahoma City started with a clear run and consistently exploited the Suns’ turnovers. Three fast breaks, two resulting threes and high intensity ensured that the lead grew to over 20 points within a few minutes.
The Suns seemed overwhelmed in this phase, made a lot of mistakes and hardly found any structure in offense. Oklahoma City, on the other hand, dominated in particular by winning possession and scoring points after turnovers by the Suns.
No suspense after the break
Phoenix did try to close the gap again after the break (53:68), but OKC did not allow a real comeback. Every small run by the Suns was answered immediately, keeping the gap constantly high. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25 points, 7 assists) led his team in commanding fashion and kept the offense stable, while Devin Booker (23 points, 6 rebounds) in particular held his own for the visitors.
Early decision in the final quarter
The game was decided early on in the final period. Oklahoma City extended its lead and finished the encounter in commanding fashion.
With this dominant performance, Oklahoma City underlined its ambitions as defending champions. The Suns, on the other hand, are under pressure early on and need to significantly reduce their error-proneness in particular for the upcoming games.