Thunder sweep Suns in four

Oklahoma City finished off Phoenix 131-122 on Monday night, closing a 4-0 first-round sweep behind 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. (nba.com) (espn.com) Chet Holmgren added 24 points, and the Thunder closed the first half on a 27-12 run that turned a two-point game into a double-digit lead. (nba.com) (espn.com) The final margin was nine, but Oklahoma City led 75-67 at halftime and never gave Phoenix a real opening after the break. (nba.com) (espn.com) The sweep pushed the Thunder into the Western Conference semifinals for the third straight season. ESPN’s recap noted Oklahoma City is now 12-0 in first-round games over the last three years. (espn.com) Phoenix entered as the No. 8 seed after a 45-37 regular season, but Oklahoma City had been the West’s top seed at 64-18 and won every game of the series by at least nine points. (espn.com) (nba.com) The Thunder opened the series with a 120-84 win, took Game 2 by 14, then won 131-109 and 131-122 in Phoenix to end it in four. (nba.com) (espn.com) Oklahoma City now moves on to face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the second round. Phoenix’s season ended Monday, April 27, on its home floor. (espn.com)