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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AMSGA shines to help Thunder block out Suns in playoffs
AP • April 20th, 2026 11:05 am
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 25 points to help eclipse the Suns | Photo: AP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder began their NBA title defence with a 119-84 rout of the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
The reigning league MVP made just five of 18 field-goal attempts but went 15-of-17 at the foul line before sitting out the fourth quarter on Sunday night (Monday AEST).
Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 for the top-seeded Thunder, who host Game 2 on Wednesday.
Devin Booker scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks scored 18 on 6-of-22 shooting for the Suns, who shot just 34.9 per cent from the field.
Brooks was called for a flagrant-one foul in the first quarter for hitting Holmgren in the face. The Thunder went on a 12-2 surge after that to take a 24-14 lead.
In the closing seconds of the quarter, Oklahoma's Williams threw a pass about three-quarters of the length of the court. Holmgren caught it with his back to the basket, took one dribble to his right, then turned and drained a three-pointer to put Oklahoma City up 35-20.
Oklahoma City extended the advantage to 65-44 at halftime. Holmgren had 16 points and Gilgeous-Alexander had 15 at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander converted a three-point play to push Oklahoma City's lead to 90-63 late in the third quarter, and the Thunder took a 97-66 edge into the fourth.
In Boston, Jayson Tatum had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his first playoff game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon last season, as the Celtics rolled past the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91 to kick off their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Boston's Jayson Tatum soared to a 25-point haul in the Celtics' win over Philadelphia | Photo: AP
Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Neemias Queta added 13 for the second-seeded Celtics.
Tatum scored 21 points in the first half on Sunday (Monday AEST), playing in just his 17th game this season following surgery last May to repair his Achilles tendon.
Boston never trailed, building a 35-point lead as coach Joe Mazzulla gave minutes to 12 players. The Celtics connected on 16 three-pointers.
Tyrese Maxey had 21 points and eight assists for the 76ers, who played without Joel Embiid, still recovering after an appendectomy on April 9.
Paul George scored 17 points and VJ Edgecombe added 13, but Philadelphia were 4-of-23 from three-point range.
Philadelphia's 64-46 halftime deficit was their largest in a playoff game against Boston since 1982, with oach Nick Nurse calling the Sixers' effort "absolutely unacceptable."
Game 2 is on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEST) in Boston.
