Thunder sweep Suns, advance to Western Conference semis

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Chet Holmgren contributed 24 as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns 131-122 on Monday night, completing a four-game sweep in their Western Conference first-round playoff series, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

The Thunder — who have now gone 12-0 in first-round matchups over the past three seasons — will move on to face the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers currently hold a 3-1 advantage, though the Rockets secured a victory in Game 4 on their home court.

The loss extended Phoenix’s playoff struggles, marking a 10-game postseason losing streak that dates back to 2023.

Oklahoma City sealed the series with a dominant offensive display, knocking down 17 of 34 shots from beyond the arc — a 50% success rate. Their frontcourt was especially effective, with the 7-foot-1 Holmgren shooting 9-of-16 from the field while collecting 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Ajay Mitchell chipped in 22 points and connected on four 3-pointers, while Alex Caruso scored 14, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander once again delivered a steady performance. After scoring 42 points in Game 3, he followed up with another efficient outing, making 10 of his 17 field goal attempts.

The Suns mounted a push after halftime, trimming a 15-point deficit to 106-98 heading into the fourth quarter. Devin Booker led the charge in the third period, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

However, every time Phoenix threatened to close the gap, Oklahoma City answered. Cason Wallace knocked down a corner 3-pointer with 5:54 remaining to extend the Thunder’s lead to 120-106. Shortly after, Gilgeous-Alexander added a highlight-reel layup, converting through heavy defensive pressure from three defenders.

Booker finished as the Suns’ top scorer with 24 points, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green each contributed 23. Collin Gillespie added 20 points, making six 3-pointers in the game.

The Thunder built a 75-67 halftime lead by shooting 61.4% from the field and an impressive 60% from 3-point range, converting 12 of 20 attempts from deep. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 17 points before the break, including a wide-open 3-pointer just ahead of halftime.

That performance countered a strong shooting start from Phoenix, which also hit 11 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half. Gillespie paced the Suns early, scoring 17 points before halftime while making all six of his shots, including five 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City played without starter Jalen Williams, who missed his second consecutive game due to a left hamstring strain. Phoenix was also short-handed, with center Mark Williams (foot) and guard Jordan Goodwin (calf) unavailable.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev