The Thunder opened their playoff run with a dominant 119–84 Game 1 win over the Suns, powered by elite defense, balanced scoring, and relentless energy on both ends of the floor.
OKLAHOMA CITY – On the anniversary of the tragedy that happened thirty one years ago today, the Oklahoma City Thunder secured their first playoff win of 2026 at home against the Phoenix Suns.
“It’s a privilege to play on this day,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game.
“For our city and for the victims and their families. The crowd was outstanding as they always are in the playoffs.”
The Thunder delivered a commanding performance from start to finish, overwhelming the Suns on both ends of the floor and pulling away decisively. By the final buzzer, Oklahoma City had built a massive 35 point margin, sealing a dominant 119–84 victory that left little doubt about who controlled the game.
While a handful of Thunder players contributed to this win, there were a couple of performances that stood above the rest and those came from Jalen Williams who put up 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists and Chet Holmgren who added 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
For Jalen Williams, it’s no secret that he has had to overcome multiple injuries this season. Only seeing the court for a total of thirty four games during the regular season and how frustrating it’s been. After the game Williams was asked how he is approaching the playoffs after working through those injuries saying,
“My mindset is new year, new me. My year four is done. The playoffs are a totally different year in my mind so that’s how I approach it.
It’s safe to say that Williams is feeling like his old self. He didn’t show any signs of a player that missed most of the season and showed just how valuable he is to this team.
Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren put together a fantastic all-around performance, making his presence felt on both ends of the floor and impacting the game in ways that went well beyond just scoring.
“I always say this, the version of Chet today, that’s the worst version of Chet that we’re going to get and that’s just his mentality, his work ethic,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game when asked about Holmgren’s Game 1 performance.
Chet is a guy that gets better every day, every year.”
Holmgren played a major role in the Thunder’s ability to shut down the paint, helping limit Phoenix to just 24 points in that area. While his defensive impact stood out, his offensive contribution was nearly as important, as he helped set the tone early and allowed everyone else to settle into the game behind his example.
Although Holmgren and Williams were the overall stars of the night, the Thunder defense did what they do best, and that’s force turnovers and create excitement after. Oklahoma City’s defense forced 19 total turnovers, 13 being steals, leading to 34 points.
Holding Phoenix to only 34.9% from the field using defensive intensity for the whole night, it helped Oklahoma City set the tone for the series going forward.
“I didn’t think that they shot it great tonight relative to how they normally do,” Mark Daigneault said after the game.
“But I think that we were on it. We took a lot of the easy stuff away. Made them earn it.”
With the win tonight Oklahoma City goes up 1-0 in their first round series of the playoffs. Next up, the Thunder will look to repeat Sunday’s outcome in Game 2 on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
