Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder sweep a third-straight first-round opponent.
There was not less than one first-round sweep in every of the final 23 postseasons and, appropriately, it was the defending champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder that saved that streak alive. Each different workforce continues to be taking part in and the opposite No. 1 seed is down 3-1, however the Thunder took care of enterprise of their first-round sequence in opposition to the Phoenix Suns.
Sport 4 was the closest, but it surely was by no means doubtful after the Thunder ended the primary half on a 27-12 run, scoring these 27 factors on simply 11 offensive possessions. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his factor (31 factors and eight assists), his teammates shot nicely, and the Thunder cruised to a 131-122 victory in Phoenix on Monday.
Listed here are some notes, quotes, numbers and movie because the Thunder superior to the Western Convention semifinals for the third straight 12 months:
1. The Thunder are offensive
This was the Thunder’s worst offensive season of the final three, as they scored simply 2.8 extra factors per 100 possessions than the league common, down from +5.6 in 2024-25. However, regardless of dropping Jalen Williams (once more) in Sport 2, they had been extremely environment friendly over these final 9 days in opposition to the Suns’ top-10 protection.
With the Thunder scoring 126.9 factors per 100 possessions over the 4 video games, it was, by a large margin, their greatest offensive sequence of the seven they’ve performed during the last three years. They shot no higher than 35% from 3-point vary over the primary three video games, however took care of the ball and gave themselves loads of second possibilities with their work on the offensive glass.
Turnovers lastly grew to become a problem in Sport 4, however the champs made up for it with their greatest taking pictures sport of the sequence: 54% from the sector, together with 17-for-34 (50%) from 3-point vary, and 26-for-30 (87%) from the free-throw line.
“While you play forward of the protection, you progress it early, and guys step into photographs with confidence,” mentioned Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, “you give your self an opportunity to have an evening like tonight. ”
Gilgeous-Alexander received his 31 factors, with some ridiculous buckets included. However he additionally made the precise reads when the Suns zoned up in opposition to his isolations, and his teammates rewarded him:
Within the first quarter, the Thunder scored 33 factors over a stretch of 19 possessions. They completed the second with 27 on 11. The offense slowed down a bit on the third, however nonetheless had a stretch of 17 factors on eight journeys down the ground. They weren’t getting numerous stops on protection, but it surely didn’t matter.
2. Thunder flourish with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench
For so long as Williams is out (and even when/when he comes again), the Thunder offense will likely be beneath the microscope when Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t within the sport. Issues didn’t go nicely in that regard in Sport 3, when Oklahoma Metropolis scored simply 20 factors on 19 offensive possessions with the MVP on the bench.
Sport 4 was a a lot completely different story. Not counting their 24-second violation within the closing seconds, the Thunder scored 31 factors on 19 offensive possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander off the ground, taking pictures 11-for-17, together with 4-for-6 from 3-point vary.
The scoring was balanced, with 5 of Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates scoring not less than 5 factors in these 10 minutes that he sat. However the offense ran by way of Ajay Mitchell, who had a way more environment friendly evening (22 factors on 7-for-16 taking pictures) than he did on Saturday.
Chet Holmgren was the opposite man who performed the whole thing of these minutes that Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench, and the Thunder used the Mitchell-Holmgren pick-and-roll to get the Phoenix protection in rotation:
The non-Gilgeous-Alexander minutes may not ever be this good once more; That efficient area objective proportion of 76% is unsustainable. However Mitchell is simply getting began along with his playoff profession, having logged simply 84 complete minutes in final 12 months’s postseason. So he’s being thrown into the hearth proper now, his game-to-game improvement is vital, and people 10 minutes on Monday had been necessary in regard to the Thunder’s means to repeat.
3. Booker and Suns discover some solutions, however not sufficient
Although the Thunder had their greatest offensive efficiency of the sequence, Sport 4 wasn’t beneath wraps till the ultimate minute, as a result of the Suns had been almost environment friendly in opposition to the league’s No. 1 protection.
Devin Booker remained the main target of the Thunder’s defensive sport plan and easily couldn’t break away within the first two quarters. He went into halftime with two factors and 5 turnovers, having shot 0-for-3 from the sector.
However the Suns nonetheless had an environment friendly half, as a result of Dillon Brooks did some work in isolation and so they discovered these weak-side 3-pointers that the Thunder will yield:
Booker lastly received going within the second half, getting a few buckets in transition as a result of the Thunder dedicated a slew of turnovers. Working a pick-and-roll towards the empty facet of the ground (as a substitute of towards extra defenders) additionally labored:
He completed with 24 factors, his excessive for the sequence. But it surely was nonetheless his lowest scoring (21.3 factors per sport) and third least environment friendly (true taking pictures proportion of 56.4%) of the ten he performed in. There’s not lots you are able to do whenever you’re the first focus of probably the greatest defensive groups of your lifetime.
“Our coverages had been fairly good on him,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “He was on the market attempting to make the precise play. He was taking part in basketball the precise means, taking part in for his teammates. We had been displaying him our bodies and he was making reads.
“Our sport plan simply labored.”
4. Suns had been an entire new workforce this season
The Suns had been the one workforce that was swept out of this primary spherical, however this season nonetheless ends on a a lot greater notice than the final one. In truth, the Suns made us shortly neglect how disappointing their 2024-25 season was, by some means turning into a greater workforce after parting methods with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
The offense took a step backward, but it surely was only a small one. And the Suns had been the second most improved defensive workforce within the league, permitting 4.8 fewer factors per 100 possessions than they did final season. Enchancment got here with the league’s greatest leap in opponent turnover charge and its second greatest drop in opponent 3-point proportion.
Most necessary is that the Suns established a brand new identification beneath first-year head coach Jordan Ott. They don’t have the expertise of most different Western Convention playoff groups, however they shortly discovered the right way to win video games. Constant aggressiveness on protection and on the offensive glass will get you extra photographs than your opponent and numerous common season wins.
“The self-discipline and group on either side of the ball,” Daigneault mentioned of the Suns, “was spectacular.”
A lot of the Phoenix core is beneath contract for subsequent season, although level guard Collin Gillespie (unrestricted) and middle Mark Williams (restricted) are free brokers this summer season, and the Suns would not have a first-round choose on this 12 months’s Draft. They will actually hope for continued enchancment and higher well being for the 24-year-old Jalen Inexperienced, who performed in solely 32 common season video games, although it’s truthful to marvel how nicely he suits alongside Booker long-term.
Whereas the Suns’ season is over, the Thunder will wait on the winner of the Lakers-Rockets sequence, with L.A. up 3-1 and having the chance to shut it out at dwelling on Wednesday (10 ET, ESPN).
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John Schuhmann has coated the NBA for greater than 20 years. You possibly can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on Bluesky.