The Oklahoma City Thunder utterly dominated the Phoenix Suns 119-84 in Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder’s defense was suffocating, and even though OKC didn’t shoot all that well, the defense converted turnovers into points. In the end, the starters rested for most, if not all, of the fourth quarter, and now the teams meet again tonight for Game 2.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled from the field in Game 1, making just 5-of-18 from the floor, but he was able to impact the game otherwise with 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, all while having 0 turnovers. Expect a much better game from SGA tonight in Game 2. Yesterday, Shai was announced as the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, and his mantra of consistency rings true in every aspect of his game. On the rare occasion that he has an inefficient shooting night, he’s likely to follow it up with a quality performance, something he did throughout the regular season.
Shai’s supporting cast played quite well in Game 1, though, as Jalen Williams tallied 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block and a steal. Chet Holmgren finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in just 25 minutes of action. Nobody else scored in double digits, but pretty much everybody contributed on the defensive end in some way.
OKC’s best shot at repeating as NBA Champs is staying locked in on the defensive end. The Thunder’s 3-point shooting has been somewhat inconsistent all season long, and while they are sure to get hot during stretches, they cannot rely on that to win games. OKC is at its best when frustrating opposing offenses by turning the ball over or just slowing the game down, and they should be able to do that pretty easily again tonight against the Suns.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 8:30 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: ESPN
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Phoenix Suns Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Jalen Williams
- PF: Chet Holmgren
- C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Suns
- PG: Devin Booker
- SG: Jalen Green
- SF: Jordan Goodwin
- PF: Dillon Brooks
- C: Mark Williams
Injury Report
Thunder
- Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgical recovery) is OUT.
Suns
- Grayson Allen (strained left hamstring) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Jordan Goodwin (left calf soreness) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Mark Williams (left foot soreness) is QUESTIONABLE.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 41-23 against the Suns in the regular season (24-8 at home, 17-15 on the road) and 1-0 in the Playoffs (1-0 at home, 0-0 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder have won the season series against the Suns 13 times, tied once, and lost 5 times.
- OKC went 3-2 against Phoenix in the regular season (2-1 at home, 1-1 on the road).
- OKC leads Phoenix 1-0 in the first round of the Playoffs (1-0 at home, 0-0 on the road).