Who: Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 6:30pm Arizona Time
Where: Paycom Center — Oklahoma City, OK
Watch: ESPN
Listen: KMVP 98.7
Series Status: Thunder up 1-0
OKLAHOMA CITY — Game One for the Phoenix Suns in their first round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder was rough, to say the least. At the very, very beginning of the game, Phoenix showed a bit of hope, getting up 12-9, just for the Thunder to go on a 110-72 run the rest of the game. You read that right.
The Thunder completely shut down the Suns, forcing them to shoot a horrid 35% from the field and take 10 fewer shots than Oklahoma City, thanks to the Thunder’s offensive rebounding efforts. Dillon Brooks, Devin Booker, and Jalen Green took 66% of the team’s field goals and were inefficient in their efforts. Collin Gillespie was the only other Sun who took at least six shots. The likely MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, didn’t even have a great game for the Thunder. While he got to the line 17 times and hit 15 of his foul shots, he shot 28% from the field on 18 shots. Don’t count on the Finals MVP doing the same again in Game 2.
It’s going to take more than just the Suns shooting better from the field to even up the series tonight. The team is going to have to move the ball better. In Game 1, Phoenix had just 16 assists. Every game the team had 16 or fewer dimes this season, they lost.
Devin Booker and the team’s top scorers are not only going to need to have a herculean offensive performance to stop the defending champs from taking a 2-0 series lead, but the team also needs to play with connectivity. Bright Side is in Oklahoma to give you live coverage that you can find on X at @HoldenSherman1 and @BrightSideSun with exclusive media for tonight’s game.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Grayson Allen — QUESTIONABLE (Left Hamstring Strain)
- Jordan Goodwin — QUESTIONABLE (Left Calf Soreness)
- Mark Williams — QUESTIONABLE (Left Foot Stress Reaction)
Thunder
- Thomas Sorber — OUT (Torn Right ACL)
What to Watch For
Can the Suns play better on offense?
Phoenix had just three games this year in which they scored fewer than 85 points, and they lost all of them. Unsurprisingly, they got walloped when they did that in Game 1. The team plays best when they’re moving the ball and knocking down their threes. They did neither on Sunday.
Limiting turnoversand creating moreof them
Oklahoma City forced Phoenix into 17 turnovers in Game 1 and allowed just six. At one point, they went 19:14 of gameplay without committing a single one. OKC scored 34 points off turnovers while the Suns scored just two. Phoenix had just three steals in Game 1 after averaging nearly 10 a game in the regular season. Will the Suns be able to cause more raucous than they did on Sunday and manage the tenacious Oklahoma City defense?
Does Mark Williams make an impact if he returns?
Williams was out for game one after re-injuring the left foot that kept him out nearly a month at the end of the regular season. While he didn’t play a huge part in the team’s win over OKC in January, he had a 13-point, 14-rebound game against them back in November’s close loss and is the team’s best rebounder. How could his impact help the Suns on the glass?
Key to a Suns Win
Devin Booker
Plain and simple. It starts with him. For the Suns to have a chance to win games in the series, the five-time All-Star has to have performances reminiscent of his 2023 playoffs, where he averaged 34 points on 59% shooting from the field and 51% shooting from three in 11 games. If that doesn’t happen, the team has no shot to compete with the defending champs. The team with the best player usually wins playoff games, and Booker needs to severely outplay the Thunder’s best players because of the depth advantage OKC has.
If Booker has a strong game, he’ll need the rest of the team to help him space the floor and make his life easier to operate on offense, while forcing the Thunder into more turnovers.
Prediction
Look for the Suns to come out with a better performance than they did in Game 1. They were playing on short rest and now have had a legitimate break between games after being in two play-in games. That said, Oklahoma City’s defensive discipline and depth have given the Suns problems all year because of Phoenix’s lack of elite ball handlers and a paint presence. Give me the Thunder in a moderately close game that they start taking over in the second half.
Thunder 117, Suns 106
Suns
Thunder
Magic
Pistons