The Oklahoma City Thunder have completed the sweep and have become the first team to advance to the second round. Here are the four things to know.
OKC Secures First-Round Sweep Against Suns
1) Stepping Up In Jalen Williams’s Absence
The Thunder were without Jalen Williams in Games 3 and 4, after suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in the second half of Game 2 of this first-round series.
Williams only played 33 games for OKC during the regular season, forcing the Thunder to survive life without him. So this isn’t unfamiliar territory for them. This team has a next-man-up mentality.
Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren stepped up to carry the offensive production in Williams’ void. In the closeout game, Holmgren (24 points on 9-of-16 from the floor, 2-of-5 from three, 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, 12 rebounds, and three assists) and Mitchell (22 points on 7-of-16 from the floor, 4-of-6 from three, 4-of-4 from the free-throw line) had their best games of the series.
The Thunder showed clear growth, as Mitchell, Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein filled the void offensively, and Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort picked up the slack defensively in place of Williams.
2) Overcoming Game 3 Struggles
It was no secret that the Thunder struggled in Game 3s last postseason, and this team wanted to correct that trend against the Phoenix Suns.
Taking it a step further, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s Game 3 struggles were evident heading into the matchup against Phoenix. He shot 58/149 (38.9%) from the floor in eight game 3’s during his playoff career.
The shotmaking display, poise, and patience from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were nothing short of breathtakingFinished with 42 points on 15-of-18 from the floor (14-for-15 from two) & 8 assists (no live-ball turnovers) = 90.2(!!) TS%
After winning Game 3, Gilgeous-Alecander said the Thunder knew they typically struggled in Game 3s and referenced the big lead Memphis got last year, losing in Denver, getting blown out by the Wolves, and losing to the Pacers, all in Game 3s.
3) Continued Game 4 Success
After noting how the Thunder didn’t play up to its standards in Game 3s during its 2025 championship run and wanted to correct its struggles this time around, Oklahoma City has continued to succeed, remaining unbeaten in Game 4s in the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander era.
Going back to the 2024 playoffs, when the Thunder made their first postseason appearance of this era, they are 7-0 in Game 4.
Completing sweeps in the first round in three consecutive years. Securing tight wins in each Game 4 in this Thunder era, including a couple of clutch wins to avoid 3-1 deficits last postseason, against the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. The Thunder have found ways to come out ahead in one of the biggest games of any series.
4) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Was Stellar
After having shooting struggles in Game 1, where he shot 5-of-18 from the floor. From Games 2-4, Gilgeous-Alexander made his case as the best player in the world. Averaging 36.6 points and 8.3 assists per game on 63.3 shooting from the floor, including a jaw-dropping line in Game 3, scoring 42 points on an eye-popping 15-for-18 from the floor, missing a single shot (14-of-15) from two.
Phoenix threw every intense defensive coverage at Gilgeous-Alexander, and it did not matter. The Suns’ head coach, Jordan Ott, said it best: “He had us spinning”.
Gilgeous-Alecander’s rhythm was not disrupted at all as he was in his flow state — completely controlling the series, manipulating and breaking down the Suns’ defensive schemes.
Main Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
