Who: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 6:30 pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: NBCSN/Peacock
Listen: KMVP 98.7
This very well could be the final game of the 2025-26 NBA season for the Phoenix Suns. If it is, what a ride it’s been.
No team in league history has ever come back from down 3-0. Phoenix is also the only team without a playoff win this year after the Rockets finally got one against the Lakers last night.
Phoenix made things slightly more interesting last game, but Shai had a performance for the ages, and the Suns just couldn’t hang despite an early 9-point lead in the first quarter. But, as we’ve seen all series long… the Thunder are just simply too good. They are the defending champs and won 64 games for a reason, after all.
The adjustments have been minimal from first-year head coach Jordan Ott. Will we see more of the same? If this team is who they’ve said they are all season long, they should go down swinging.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Mark Williams — OUT (Left Foot Soreness)
- Jordan Goodwin — QUESTIONABLE (Left Calf Soreness)
Thunder
- Thomas Sorber — OUT (Right ACL)
- Jalen Williams — OUT (Left Hamstring Strain)
What to Watch For
Jalen Williams is out again, and that means plenty more Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins minutes. This team is deep. Shai’s firepower led the way in Game 3, with eight players contributing 6+ points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been nearly unstoppable. He is hitting tough contested shots, he is getting downhill with ease, and drawing fouls when he needs to. Or kicking it to his open teammate if the Suns overcommit. Slowing him down has been virtually impossible. If they want any chance at an upset tonight, the defense on him has to improve. Easier said than done.
One person who could certainly help with that would be Jordan Goodwin. Goody’s status is in question again, as he has been sidelined since the first game of the series with a calf injury. There’s been a lot of chatter about how much the Suns have missed Mark Williams, and rightfully so due to the size disadvantage. But to me, Jordan Goodwin’s absence has been the most negatively impactful for this Suns squad. His presence changes everything defensively.
Outside of Dillon Brooks, he is the culture setter. The big momentum-shifting plays and the “little things” he does over the course of the game add up.
Key to a Suns Win
It’s simple, really. Take care of the ball. Rebound.
If they do those two things while playing their brand of hard-nosed basketball, they have a chance against anyone. If they continue to carelessly turn it over or allow second-chance points, they are toast. The margin for error against this Thunder team is microscopic.
The possessions where the Suns had an excellent defensive stand for 20-to-23 seconds that led to a miss, only for the Thunder to grab the offensive board and hit a triple are the backbreakers. Those momentum shifts are the difference between a transition opportunity for your offense and your defense getting overworked for another 10-13 seconds and a potential 5-point swing on a single possession.
Shooters need to shoot. We’re going to need Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen to knock their shots down. Royce O’Neale as well. The “Big 3” of Booker, Brooks, and Green will draw the most defensive attention, so it sets up the role players for quality looks. They surprisingly had plenty of good looks from deep in the last game; the shots just weren’t falling at the rate they needed to.
The list of things that have to go right to win is pretty long. Do we have one last fight in us?
Prediction
This thing is over. I expect the Thunder to aim to put one final bow on this thing and wrap it up so they can enter their next series well rested against the Lakers or Rockets. Prove me wrong one last time, Suns.
Suns 101, Thunder 119
Kurt Helin
