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 only five of 18 field goals, went 15 of 17 from the foul line before being rested in the fourth quarter.
Jalen Williams added 22 points, and Chet Holmgren contributed 16 points for the top-seeded Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday. Devin Booker scored 23 points, and Dillon Brooks scored 18 on 6-of-22 shooting for the Suns, who struggled with 34.9% field goal shooting. The Thunder quickly overcame an initial 5-0 deficit, fueled by a 12-2 surge after Brooks was called for a flagrant-one foul in the first quarter.
A notable play saw Jaylin Williams throw a pass almost the length of the court to Holmgren, who caught it, 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 at halftime, with Holmgren having 16 points and Gilgeous-Alexander 15 by the break. In another matchup, Jayson Tatum returned from injury to score 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists as the Boston Celtics rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91. Tatum, playing in his first playoff game since rupturing his Achilles tendon, had 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. Victor Wembanyama also made a significant playoff debut, scoring 35 points as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98. Wembanyama set an NBA record for most points in the first half of a playoff debut with 21 and a Spurs franchise record for most points in a playoff debut, surpassing Tim Duncan's 32 in 1998.