OKC dominates: Third straight first-round sweep
Another dominant showing, a sweep of the Phoenix Suns, sends the OKC Thunder forward as their playoff run continues without resistance.
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue their march with no distractions. After finishing the regular season as the NBA’s top team with 64 wins, marking their second straight year surpassing the 60-win mark, OKC made quick work of their first-round playoff series, sweeping the Phoenix Suns 4–0.
It’s the third consecutive year they’ve advanced past the opening round with a sweep, having previously dominated the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans in the same fashion.
Waiting for their next opponent
The Thunder now await the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, currently led 3–1 by Los Angeles.
OKC made sure not to waste any extra energy, closing out the series on the road with a 131–122 win, their tightest margin of the four games.
Suns fight, but fall short
The Suns were expected to fall, but they didn’t go quietly. Devin Booker led the resistance with 24 points, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 23 each.
Their effort even produced a comeback after trailing early (26–37), with Phoenix briefly taking a 55–48 lead and raising hopes of an upset. But it didn’t last.
The Thunder responded with authority. Their outside shooting - 17-of-34 from three - gradually broke Phoenix’s resistance. A basket from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander midway through the third quarter pushed the lead to 90–76 and shifted momentum for good.
Shai finished as the game’s top scorer with 31 points and added 8 assists, once again leading from the front.
Chet Holmgren delivered a dominant performance as well, posting 24 points and 12 assists. By the time the Thunder stretched the lead to 122–106 in the fourth quarter, the outcome was sealed. Phoenix’s season is over. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, looks ahead with the clear goal of winning another championship.
Related stories
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.
|
8
Grayson Allen
|
|
1
Devin Booker
|
|
17
Jamaree Bouyea
|
|
3
Dillon Brooks
|
|
2
Amir Coffey
|
|
0
Ryan Dunn
|
|
20
Rasheer Fleming
|
|
12
Collin Gillespie
|
|
4
Jalen Green
|
|
19
Haywood Highsmith
|
|
11
Oso Ighodaro
|
|
10
Khaman Maluach
|
|
0
Royce O'Neale
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8
Grayson Allen
|
20 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | |
|
1
Devin Booker
|
40 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7/9 | 7/10 | 1/6 | 0 | 5 | |
|
17
Jamaree Bouyea
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
3
Dillon Brooks
|
41 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1/1 | 8/15 | 2/4 | 0 | 3 | |
|
2
Amir Coffey
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Ryan Dunn
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | |
|
20
Rasheer Fleming
|
9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 0 | 2 | |
|
12
Collin Gillespie
|
28 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 1/1 | 6/11 | 0 | 4 | |
|
4
Jalen Green
|
38 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2/3 | 9/15 | 1/10 | 0 | 3 | |
|
19
Haywood Highsmith
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
11
Oso Ighodaro
|
33 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0/0 | 4/5 | 0/0 | 0 | 5 | |
|
10
Khaman Maluach
|
5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Royce O'Neale
|
18 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 2/2 | 0 | 3 | |
|
9
Alex Caruso
|
|
5
Luguentz Dort
|
|
2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
|
|
55
Isaiah Hartenstein
|
|
7
Chet Holmgren
|
|
11
Isaiah Joe
|
|
3
Jared McCain
|
|
25
Ajay Mitchell
|
|
44
Nikola Topić
|
|
22
Cason Wallace
|
|
21
Aaron Wiggins
|
|
6
Jaylin Williams
|
|
34
Kenrich Williams
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9
Alex Caruso
|
25 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 4/6 | 0 | 2 | |
|
5
Luguentz Dort
|
26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/2 | 0 | 4 | |
|
2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
|
37 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9/11 | 8/13 | 2/4 | 0 | 2 | |
|
55
Isaiah Hartenstein
|
29 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8/9 | 5/7 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | |
|
7
Chet Holmgren
|
34 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4/4 | 7/11 | 2/5 | 0 | 2 | |
|
11
Isaiah Joe
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2/5 | 0 | 1 | |
|
3
Jared McCain
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
25
Ajay Mitchell
|
33 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4/4 | 3/10 | 4/6 | 0 | 2 | |
|
44
Nikola Topić
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
22
Cason Wallace
|
22 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/0 | 2/4 | 2/3 | 0 | 2 | |
|
21
Aaron Wiggins
|
11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | |
|
6
Jaylin Williams
|
9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1/3 | 0 | 2 | |
|
34
Kenrich Williams
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | |