Shai Gilgeous-Alexander erupted for 37 points to lead the host Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, April 23, 2026 (PH time), giving the defending champions a 2-0 advantage in their Western Conference first-round series in the NBA Playoffs.
"Shai made the right play all night," said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. "His floor game was outstanding. He seemed to spray it all over the place, had a great tempo and got us really good shots."
Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams provided strong support for the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, each scoring 19 points. The Thunder played well overall, but the only downside was Williams suffering a hamstring injury, leaving his return questionable.
"All we can do is play next man up, and we built that muscle throughout the season pretty well," said Gilgeous-Alexander regarding Williams' injury. "I'm super confident in this team to be able to go and get the job done no matter who's out there."
In the Eastern Conference, the host Detroit Pistons bounced back against the Orlando Magic with a 98-83 win, tying their first-round series at 1-1.
