Thunder go up 2‑0

Oklahoma City is heading to Phoenix with a 2-0 lead after beating the Suns 120-107 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points on 13-for-25 shooting and added nine assists for the Thunder, who also got 26 points from Chet Holmgren. Phoenix was led by Dillon Brooks with 30 points. (nba.com) The series opened with an even bigger Oklahoma City win, 119-84 on April 19 at Paycom Center. Through two games, the top-seeded Thunder have outscored Phoenix by 48 points. (nba.com) Oklahoma City finished the regular season 64-18, best in the Northwest Division and 19 games ahead of Phoenix’s 45-37 mark in the Pacific Division. The Suns reached this matchup as the No. 8 seed after the play-in, while the Thunder entered as the West’s No. 1 seed. (espn.com) That gives the Thunder early control of a first-round series that now shifts to Arizona for Game 3 on Saturday, April 25, at 12:30 p.m. local time in Phoenix. The schedule lists a possible Game 4 on Monday, April 27, also in Phoenix. (espn.com) The Suns did show more resistance in Game 2 than they did in the opener, trimming the margin to 13 after losing Game 1 by 35. NBA.com’s series page said Phoenix made a fourth-quarter push before the Thunder closed it out. (nba.com) There was one immediate complication for Oklahoma City: the NBA’s playoff hub reported that Jalen Williams exited Game 2 in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury. His status could become a factor before the series resumes in Phoenix. (nba.com) For Phoenix, the task is now simple on paper and steep in practice: protect home court and cut the deficit before the series gets out of reach. For Oklahoma City, the first two games delivered exactly what a top seed wants — two wins, a road trip, and a chance to put the matchup on the brink in Game 3. (espn.com)