Thunder complete 4-0 sweep of Suns

Oklahoma City closed out Phoenix 131-122 on Monday night, finishing a 4-0 first-round sweep behind 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. (espn.com) Chet Holmgren added 24 points and 12 rebounds, Isaiah Hartenstein had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Ajay Mitchell scored 22 off the bench for the Thunder. (espn.com) The Thunder led 75-67 at halftime after shooting 61.4% from the field and 12-for-20 from 3-point range in the first half. They finished 17-for-34 from deep and 26-for-30 at the line. (espn.com) (nba.com) Phoenix trimmed the margin to 106-98 entering the fourth quarter, but Cason Wallace hit a corner 3 with 5:54 left and Gilgeous-Alexander answered with a layup over three defenders. (espn.com) Devin Booker led the Suns with 24 points, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green scored 23 each, and Collin Gillespie added 20 while making six 3-pointers. Phoenix still dropped its 10th straight playoff game dating to 2023. (espn.com) For Oklahoma City, the sweep extended a striking pattern: the Thunder are now 12-0 in first-round games over the last three postseasons. NBA.com called it the league’s only completed first-round sweep as of Tuesday’s bracket. (espn.com) (nba.com) The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference semifinals for the third straight year and will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series. The Lakers held a 3-1 lead entering Game 5. (espn.com) (nba.com) Oklahoma City did it without Jalen Williams for a second straight game because of a left hamstring strain. Even with that absence, the Thunder posted 126.9 points per 100 possessions across the four-game series, their best offensive series of the last three years, according to NBA.com. (espn.com) (nba.com) The series ended the way it started: with Oklahoma City’s offense overwhelming Phoenix’s defense and the Suns running out of answers before the bracket moved on without them. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)