Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander delivered a 25‑point performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder opened their championship run with a commanding 119‑84 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the first game of the Western Conference first‑round series on Sunday. Despite a modest shooting night—making just five of his 18 attempts from the field—Gilgeous‑Alexander was flawless at the free‑throw line, sinking 15 of 17 before bowing out for the fourth quarter. His effort set the tone for a Thunder squad that never looked back. Supporting the MVP, forward Jalen Williams contributed 22 points, while the highly touted rookie center Chet Holmgren added 16, helping the top‑seeded Thunder establish a lead they would never relinquish.
The win positions Oklahoma City to host Game 2 on Wednesday, where they will look to extend the advantage. For Phoenix, veteran guard Devin Booker managed 23 points, and forward Dillon Brooks added 18 despite an inefficient shooting night, going just 6‑for‑22 from the floor and seeing the Suns finish with a field‑goal percentage of 34.9.
The Suns got off to a quick start, sprinting to a 5‑0 lead as the Thunder appeared sluggish after a week off. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Brooks was assessed a flagrant‑one foul for striking Holmgren in the face during the opening quarter. The incident sparked a 12‑2 run that vaulted Oklahoma City to a 24‑14 lead.
A highlight of the first quarter came in the final seconds when Jaylin Williams launched a long pass that traveled roughly three‑quarters of the length of the court. Holmgren, positioned with his back to the basket, caught the ball, took a single dribble to his right, turned, and released a three‑pointer as the buzzer sounded, pushing the Thunder’s lead to 35‑20. By halftime, Oklahoma City had stretched the gap to 65‑44.
Holmgren had already amassed 16 points, while Gilgeous‑Alexander contributed 15. In the third quarter, Gilgeous‑Alexander executed a three‑point play that vaulted the Thunder’s margin to 90‑63, and the team entered the fourth quarter with a 97‑66 advantage.
The game also featured news from the Eastern Conference. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first playoff appearance since tearing his right Achilles tendon last season.
The Celtics rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers 123‑91 in Game 1 of their first‑round series. Boston’s second‑seeded lineup was bolstered by Jaylen Brown’s 26 points and center Neemias Queta’s 13, while Tatum added 21 points in the opening half despite being only in his 17th game of the season following Achilles surgery in May.
Boston never fell behind, constructing a 35‑point lead as head coach Joe Mazzulla rotated 12 players throughout the contest. The Celtics connected on 16 three‑pointers, and the series now shifts to Boston for Game 2 on Tuesday night. "That was Celtics basketball," Brown remarked.
"We've been the harder‑playing team all year. That can't change now that the playoffs have started." Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s star guard Tyrese Maxey tallied 21 points and eight assists despite the absence of Joel Embiid, who is still recovering from an appendectomy performed on April 9. Maxey was heavily pressured by the Celtics, who contested 12 of his 14 attempts in the first half and limited him to 8‑of‑20 shooting overall. The 76ers trailed 64‑46 at halftime, marking their largest halftime deficit in a playoff game against Boston since 1982.
In the Western Conference, San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama announced his playoff debut with a 35‑point explosion as the Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111‑98 in Game 1. Wembanyama’s 21 points in the first half set an NBA record for the most points scored in the opening half of a playoff debut since the league began detailed play‑by‑play tracking in 1997. His total also broke the Spurs’ franchise record for points in a playoff debut, surpassing Tim Duncan’s 32‑point effort in 1998.
Supporting Wembanyama, guard Stephon Castle and point guard De'Aaron Fox each added 17 points and combined for 15 assists, orchestrating the Spurs’ offense with precision. For Portland, forward Deni Avdija posted a double‑double with 30 points and 10 rebounds, having led the Blazers to a 114‑110 win over Phoenix in the play‑in tournament to secure the No. 7 seed. Additionally, rookie Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, contributed 18 points.
Game 2 is slated for Tuesday night in San Antonio, after which the series will travel to Portland for Games 3 and 4. The Spurs’ home crowd, a sell‑out that featured former champions Tim Duncan and Hall‑of‑Famer David Robinson sitting courtside together, underscored the significance of the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2019. The Spurs had endured a six‑season postseason drought following a run of five NBA championships and 22 consecutive playoff berths, the longest streak in league history. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports, with the next matchup featuring the Toronto Raptors against the Cleveland Cavaliers airing on Sky Sports+ from 11 p.m.
on Monday evening. The NBA playoffs continue to deliver thrilling storylines, from dominant performances by emerging stars to the resilience of seasoned veterans, promising an unforgettable postseason for basketball enthusiasts worldwide.