Thunder go up 2-0

Oklahoma City beat Phoenix 120-107 on Wednesday night, giving the Thunder a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference series. (nba.com, apnews.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove the result with 37 points, nine assists and five rebounds, shooting 13-for-25 from the field and 9-for-9 at the line. (apnews.com, usatoday.com) Oklahoma City led 65-57 at halftime and stretched the margin with a 35-20 third quarter before Phoenix made a late push. Chet Holmgren added 19 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, and Jalen Williams scored 19 before leaving with a left hamstring injury. (espn.com, nba.com, apnews.com) Phoenix got 30 points from Dillon Brooks, but the Suns now head home down 0-2 after losing Game 1 by 35 points and Game 2 by 13. Through two games, the Thunder are averaging 119.5 points to Phoenix’s 95.5. (foxsports.com, nba.com, nba.com) The series opened with Oklahoma City as the No. 1 seed and Phoenix as the No. 8 seed. NBA.com’s series page lists the Thunder’s young core at 10-0 in first-round playoff games after this win. (nba.com, nba.com) That start has shifted the pressure to Phoenix before Game 3 on Saturday, April 25, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern in Arizona. The official series schedule lists Games 3 and 4 in Phoenix on NBC and Peacock. (nba.com, nba.com) The video from the full-game highlight packages tracks the same pattern as the box score: Oklahoma City kept getting downhill with Gilgeous-Alexander, protected the rim with Holmgren, and answered Phoenix runs before the game flipped late. (youtube.com, nba.com) Two games in, the scoreboard says the same thing each night: Phoenix has not held Oklahoma City under 119, and the Thunder are two wins from ending the series. (nba.com, nba.com)