Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 factors to propel the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder to a 120-107 victory over Phoenix and a 2-0 lead of their NBA playoff sequence, as Detroit topped Orlando to knot their sequence at 1-1 on Wednesday.
Reigning NBA Most Useful Participant Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers because the defending champion Thunder took a commanding lead of their best-of-seven Western Convention first-round sequence with one other complete victory.
“Shai made the appropriate play all night time,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned. “His ground recreation was excellent. He appeared to spray it far and wide, had an excellent tempo and acquired us actually good photographs.”
Chet Holmgren scored 11 of his 19 factors within the third quarter, when he additionally produced three of his 4 blocked photographs.
Jalen Williams additionally scored 19, however the ahead — restricted to simply 33 video games within the common season — exited within the third quarter, the staff saying he apparently aggravated a hamstring harm.
The Thunder, attempting to change into the primary repeat NBA champions since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, didn’t miss a beat.
They pushed their result in as many as 26 factors early within the fourth quarter and repelled a Suns surge that noticed Phoenix reduce the deficit to 10 with lower than 4 minutes remaining.
“All we are able to do is play subsequent man up, and we constructed that muscle all through the season fairly effectively,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned of the newest harm to Williams. “I’m tremendous assured on this staff to have the ability to go and get the job performed irrespective of who’s on the market.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, a finalist for MVP once more this season and the newly named Clutch Participant of the Yr for his performances late in shut video games, had an harm scare himself within the first quarter.
He got here up wincing and holding his left hand after a tough fall below the basket however mentioned after the sport there was no lasting injury.
“I’m nice,” he mentioned. “Able to go.”
Dillon Brooks scored 30 factors and Devin Booker added 22 for the Suns, who will attempt to flip issues round after they host video games three and 4.
In Detroit, the Pistons used dominant protection and a third-quarter scoring spree to beat the Orlando Magic 98-83.
Cade Cunningham scored 27 factors and handed out 11 assists and Tobias Harris added 16 factors and 11 rebounds for Japanese Convention high seeds Detroit, who had been shocked in recreation one of many best-of-seven sequence.
Power and energy
Clearly stung by that upset on their house ground, the Pistons set an early defensive tone with seven of their 11 blocks within the first quarter, however it was tied 46-46 at halftime.
The Pistons opened the third quarter on an 11-0 scoring run to lastly acquire some separation and by the point they polished off a 38-16 third interval they had been in complete management.
“We knew that first half wasn’t to our requirements of enjoying and we needed to actually determine defensively how we had been going to impression the sport,” Harris mentioned.
“I believed we got here out with simply the kind of vitality and the kind of effort that we wanted on the defensive finish. And I believed offensively we had been capable of finding the gaps within the protection that we wanted to make the appropriate performs.”
The Pistons, who had six gamers rating in double figures, snapped an 11-game house shedding streak within the playoffs that dated again to Might 2008.
Jalen Suggs scored 19 factors and Paolo Banchero added 18 for Orlando, however the Magic had been held to their lowest factors complete all season.
Revealed on Apr 23, 2026