Thunder Begin Title Defense with Dominant Win Over Suns
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to an impressive 119-84 victory against the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series on Sunday. The reigning MVP tallied 25 points despite struggling with his shooting, going 5-for-18 from the field while making 15 of 17 attempts from the free-throw line. He sat out the fourth quarter after contributing significantly throughout the game.
In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance, Jaylen Williams added 22 points and Chet Holmgren contributed 16 points. The top-seeded Thunder will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for Game 2 on Wednesday.
On the opposing side, Devin Booker was the standout for the Suns with 23 points, while Dillon Brooks struggled, shooting 6-for-22 and scoring 18 points overall with a shooting percentage of just 34.9%.
The Suns initially took a 5-0 lead, exploiting the Thunder’s slow start after a week away from gameplay. However, Oklahoma City quickly found their rhythm, taking a 24-14 advantage after a heated first quarter where Brooks received a flagrant foul for striking Holmgren. A remarkable play in the quarter’s final seconds saw Jaylin Williams launch a long pass to Holmgren, who made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to extend the Thunder’s lead to 35-20.
By halftime, Oklahoma City had built a solid 65-44 lead, with Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander contributing 16 and 15 points, respectively. The Thunder dominated the third quarter as well, with Gilgeous-Alexander completing a 3-point play that broadened the lead to 90-63. Entering the fourth quarter, the Thunder led decisively at 97-66.
Celtics Power Past 76ers in Playoff Opener
Jayson Tatum made a triumphant return to the playoffs, scoring 25 points alongside 11 rebounds and seven assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a resounding 123-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference series. This marked Tatum’s first playoff appearance since tearing his right Achilles tendon last season.
Alongside Tatum’s impressive performance, Jaylen Brown added 26 points while Niemias Keta contributed 13 points. Tatum was particularly explosive in the first half, scoring 21 points shortly after his return to the court following Achilles tendon surgery last May. The Celtics maintained control throughout, building a lead of up to 35 points, which allowed coach Joe Mazzula to rotate through 12 players effectively. Boston also excelled from beyond the arc, sinking 16 three-pointers during the game.
“That was Celtics basketball,” said Brown, praising the team’s intensity. “We’ve been a harder-playing team all year, and that hasn’t changed now that the playoffs have started.”
For the struggling 76ers, Tyrese Maxey led the way with 21 points and eight assists, but the team faced significant challenges without their star player, Joel Embiid, who is recovering from an appendectomy. It remains uncertain when Embiid will return to the lineup. Paul George added 17 points, while VJ Edgecombe scored 13 points, yet Philadelphia’s shooting woes continued as they connected on just 4 of 23 three-point attempts.
The Celtics’ defense was relentless, limiting Maxey to just 8-for-20 shooting and blocking 12 of his 14 shot attempts in the first half. The 76ers held a 64-46 halftime lead, which was their largest against Boston in playoff history since 1982.
