Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a resounding 119-84 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series, scoring 25 points. The reigning MVP struggled with his field goals, making only five of 18 attempts, but excelled at the free-throw line, converting 15 of 17 attempts before being benched in the fourth quarter. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren added 22 and 16 points, respectively, for the top-seeded Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday. Devin Booker scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks added 18 for the Suns, who shot a dismal 34.9% from the field.
The Thunder quickly overcame a slow start, fueled by a 12-2 surge after Brooks was called for a flagrant-one foul in the first quarter. Oklahoma City extended their lead to 65-44 at halftime, with Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 16 and 15 points, respectively. The Thunder's lead continued to grow, and they took a commanding 97-66 edge into the fourth quarter. In other playoff action, Jayson Tatum made a successful return to the playoffs, scoring 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists as the Boston Celtics dominated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91.
The Celtics never trailed, building a 35-point lead, with Jaylen Brown scoring 26 points and Neemias Queta adding 13. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama made history in his playoff debut, scoring 35 points to lead 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 the opening half of a playoff debut since 1997, and his 35 total points surpassed Tim Duncan's franchise record for a playoff debut.