Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 25 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder commenced their title defense with a resounding 119-84 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. Gilgeous-Alexander, despite making only five of 18 field goals, excelled at the foul line, converting 15 of 17 attempts before being rested in the fourth quarter.
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren contributed significantly with 22 and 16 points, respectively, for the top-seeded Thunder, who are set to host Game 2 on Wednesday. The Suns, led by Devin Booker's 23 points and Dillon Brooks' 18 points on 6-of-22 shooting, struggled with a 34.9% field goal percentage. After initially trailing 5-0, the Thunder quickly found their rhythm, with a notable 12-2 surge following a flagrant-one foul called on Brooks for hitting Holmgren in the face. This surge propelled the Thunder to a 24-14 lead.
The first quarter concluded with a dramatic three-pointer by Holmgren at the buzzer, giving Oklahoma City a 35-20 advantage. By halftime, the Thunder had extended their lead to 65-44, with Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Thunder continued to dominate, pushing their lead to 90-63 in the third quarter and entering the fourth with a 97-66 edge. In another playoff matchup, Jayson Tatum made a remarkable return from injury, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists in his first playoff game since rupturing his Achilles tendon last season. The Boston Celtics, with Tatum's impressive performance and Jaylen Brown's 26 points, rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Celtics, who never trailed, built a significant 35-point lead, with coach Joe Mazzulla utilizing 12 players. Tatum, playing in only his 17th game this season following surgery, scored 21 points in the first half.
The 76ers, missing Joel Embiid due to recovery from an appendectomy, were led by Tyrese Maxey's 21 points and eight assists. Philadelphia struggled from the three-point line, making only 4 of 23 attempts. The Celtics' defense was formidable, contesting 12 of Maxey's 14 shot attempts in the first half and limiting him to 8 of 20 from the field.
The 76ers faced their largest halftime deficit in a playoff game against the Celtics since 1982, trailing 64-46. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama made a historic playoff debut, scoring 35 points as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98 in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Wembanyama's 21 first-half points set an NBA record for the most in the opening half of a playoff debut since 1997, and his total of 35 points surpassed Tim Duncan's 32 in 1998 for the most in a playoff debut in Spurs franchise history. Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox supported Wembanyama with 17 points each and combined for 15 assists. Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 30 points and 10 rebounds, while Scoot Henderson added 18 points. The series will continue with Game 2 in San Antonio before moving to Portland for Games 3 and 4.
The Spurs' victory marked their first playoff game since 2019, ending a six-season postseason drought that followed a streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances, including five NBA championships.