Thunder take 2‑0 lead

Oklahoma City beat Phoenix 120-107 on Wednesday night to grab a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. (apnews.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and handed out nine assists after shooting 13 for 25 from the field in Game 2 at Paycom Center. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams added 19 points apiece for the Thunder. (espn.com) Phoenix got 30 points from Dillon Brooks, but Oklahoma City won the second and third quarters 35-28 and 35-20 to open a 100-77 lead entering the fourth. The Suns cut into the margin late, but never erased the third-quarter damage. (espn.com) The series now shifts to Phoenix with Game 3 next, and the Thunder have protected home court through the opening two games of the 2-2-1-1-1 format. Oklahoma City finished the regular season 64-18 and went 34-7 at home. (espn.com) (basketball-reference.com) In National Basketball Association playoff history, teams that take a 2-0 lead have usually gone on to win the series. Land of Basketball’s database lists 467 series that reached 2-0, with the leading team winning 433 of them. (landofbasketball.com) That context sharpens the pressure on Phoenix before the venue change. The Suns finished the regular season 45-37, and dropping both games in Oklahoma City left them trying to become one of the rarer teams to recover from an 0-2 hole. (espn.com) (landofbasketball.com) Oklahoma City also got a reminder that playoff control can come with a cost. Williams left in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and did not return, according to ESPN’s game recap. (espn.com) The Thunder opened the series with a 35-point win on Sunday, then backed it up with a 13-point win three days later. Two home games are gone, two Oklahoma City wins are on the board, and Phoenix now has to change the shape of the matchup on its own floor. (nba.com) (apnews.com)