Thunder take Game 2
- The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 120-107 in Game 2 at Paycom Center on April 22. (oklahoman.com) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced 37 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in the win. (x.com) - OKC now holds a 2-0 series lead after Wednesday’s victory, forcing Phoenix to recover on the road. ( )
Oklahoma City protected home court again Wednesday, beating Phoenix 120-107 to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference series. (nba.com) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 37 points and 9 assists at Paycom Center after scoring 25 in Game 1, and he shot 13-for-25 from the field in Game 2. (nba.com) Oklahoma City led 65-57 at halftime, got 19 points apiece from Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, shot 47.3% from the field, and forced 21 Phoenix turnovers. (nba.com) Phoenix got 30 points from Dillon Brooks before he fouled out in the fourth quarter, while Devin Booker scored 22 and Jalen Green added 21. (nba.com) The result gives the Thunder a 2-0 edge in a best-of-seven series that now shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Saturday, April 25, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Peacock and NBC. (nba.com) That puts the Suns in the position every road team tries to avoid: needing to hold serve at home after dropping both opening games in Oklahoma City. Phoenix lost Game 1 by 35 points, 119-84, before trimming the margin in Game 2. (nba.com) The Thunder also left Game 2 with a health question. Williams exited in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and did not return after scoring 19 points; he had already missed 30 games this season with a right hamstring issue. (nba.com) For Oklahoma City, the formula was simpler in Game 2 than in the opener: cleaner offense from Gilgeous-Alexander, enough secondary scoring from Holmgren and Williams, and another night of live-ball pressure that turned into Suns mistakes. (apnews.com) Now the series moves west with the Thunder two wins from advancing and the Suns needing a response before the matchup gets away from them. (nba.com)
