The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 25 points, dominated the Phoenix Suns 119-84 in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series. Gilgeous-Alexander, despite making just five of 18 field goals, went 15 of 17 from the foul line before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Jalen Williams added 22 points and Chet Holmgren contributed 16 for the top-seeded Thunder, who are set to host Game 2 on Wednesday. Devin Booker scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 for the Suns, who struggled with 34.9% shooting from the field.
The Thunder quickly overcame an initial 5-0 deficit, sparked by a flagrant-one foul on Brooks for hitting Holmgren in the face, leading to a 12-2 surge and a 24-14 lead. A notable play saw Jaylin Williams throw a long pass to Holmgren, who caught it with his back to the basket, took a dribble, and turned to drain a three-pointer as the quarter ended, putting Oklahoma City up 35-20.
The Thunder extended their lead to 65-44 by halftime, with Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. In another matchup, Jayson Tatum made a strong return to the playoffs with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists as the Boston Celtics rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91. Tatum, playing his first playoff game since rupturing his Achilles tendon, scored 21 points in the first half.
The Celtics never trailed, building a 35-point lead, with Jaylen Brown scoring 26 points and Neemias Queta adding 13. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama made a historic playoff debut with 35 points, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama's 21 first-half points set an NBA record for the most in a playoff debut's opening half since 1997, and his total points surpassed Tim Duncan's Spurs franchise record for a playoff debut.