Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 42 as OKC Thunder Sweep Phoenix Suns 121-109 to Take 3-0 Series Lead in NBA Playoffs Round 1

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-109 on Saturday to take a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

The Thunder secured the victory without injured forward Jalen Williams, who suffered a hamstring strain three days prior to the game. Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a career-playoff-high performance, shooting 15-for-18 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line while contributing eight assists.

Despite the Suns holding a nine-point lead late in the first quarter while playing at home, Oklahoma City responded with an 18-4 run to close the period and maintained control for most of the remainder of the game.

The Thunder’s bench played a significant role, with Ajay Mitchell stepping in for Williams and contributing 15 points. Oklahoma City continued its strong postseason start, improving to 11-0 in first-round games over the last three years.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring efficiency was historic, marking just the seventh 40-point playoff game in NBA history where a player achieved a true shooting percentage over 90%. His mid-range shooting has been particularly effective this season, with a 54.9% success rate (197-for-359) between the paint and the three-point line, ranking fourth-best among players with at least 300 mid-range attempts over the past 29 seasons.

With the series now poised on the brink of a sweep, the Thunder look to close out the series in Game 4 as they aim to advance to the next round of the playoffs.