• Jalen Williams (22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists (1 TO) on 9/15 FG) & Chet Holmgren (16 points & 7 rebounds on 5/10 FG) took full advantage and were in complete control from the jump

• Overall SGA had a really good game generating rim pressure & building off of his improved playmaking (7 assists & 0 TOs). Lack of rhythm on jumper (0-7 in the midrange & 0-4 from deep)

• Phoenix threw 2 bodies + help against Shai. Non-SGA Thunder players capitalize, shot 23/33 (69.6%) from two

Film Study Takeaways:

Keys to the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Suns yesterday:

• The playoffs always expose why not having a “traditional PG” on the floor hurts in the playoffs. Lack of flow for Phoenix getting into its offensive sets. The Suns had *16 assists to 17 turnovers*

OKC also generated 13 steals(!) and had 7 blocks — leading a (34-2) advantage in points off turnovers & outscoring PHX (52-24) in the paint

Shai, J-Dub, and Chet were the three Thunder players in double figures —combining for *63 points*

OKC dominates the possession game to a 1-0 series lead

+11 in TOs (outscored PHX 34-2 in points off turnovers), +13 in FGM & +10 in FGA, +5 in OREB

Held PHX to 16-for-44 (36%) from two & 13-for-39 (33%) from three, and 12-for-30 (40%) in the paint

OKC finished with a 130.8 ORTG & 91.3 DRTG

In a game where SGA is struggling shooting from the floor (5/18 FG & 0/4 3P), despite the process of the shots being good

SGA has 7 assists to zero turnovers

The value of protecting the ball & not giving away possessions is heightened in the playoffs

This!! It also shows a level of discipline, attention to detail, and synergy in one another

The plays that don't show up in the stat sheet

Look at how much ground Alex Caruso covers on this defensive possession — leading to turnovers — converting into easy transition offense

Invaluable impact

One area to nitpick in the first half is Oso Ighodaro with 7 (!! offensive rebounds in the first half, 1 less than OKC as a team — leading to Phoenix being +4 in 2nd chance points

OKC are +20 in the paint, +19 in points off TOs, and +11 in fast break points

Phoenix is 7-for-22 (32%) from two, 7-for-24 (29%) from three

Shai, Chet, and J-Dub combined for 42 points on 13 FGM. Phoenix has 44 points on 14 FGM

No rust for OKC in the first half: 135.4 ORTG & 91.7 DRTG

Lack of size — affecting Phoenix in the 1Q

OKC are +8 on the glass (has 7 offensive rebs), +12 in the paint, and +5 in 2nd chance pts

Chet Holmgren taking full advantage with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block

OKC with an 145.8 ORTG & 83.3 DRTG in the 1Q

Despite this play ending in free throws. It exemplifies how hard OKC makes you work

Phoenix sets Booker off a stagger screen

Hartenstein is in the help to close the gap, allowing Dort to recover + crowds Booker’s space. The connectivity of the OKC’s defense could potentially make life difficult

Phoenix closing the gaps on Shai

Jalen Williams providing the proper spacing. Then the active & quick hands-on full-display

Converting open looks to alleviate pressure off of SGA will be crucial

5 quick points + already showing his two-way versatility

Here are a few key role players who have found their rhythm, have momentum, and can help the Thunder’s main creators have more room to operate

Isaiah Joe: 43.8% from 3 since the ASB

Dort: 46.7% from 3 in last 10 games

Cason Wallace: 44.1% from 3 in last 8 games

J-Will: 40.9% from 3 since the ASB

Continued ⬇️

The Thunder’s perimeter shooting has been a talking point since the Dallas series during the 2024 playoff matchup

OKC generates its 3s from the drive-and-kick, and is 9th in 3P% (36.5%)

Phoenix has multiple good POA defenders to make things difficult for SGA & will try to funnel POSS

Shooting Variance ⬇️

Phoenix relies heavily on the three, 11th in 3P% (36.1%) & 5th in volume (40.8)

Defending the three has been an issue for OKC at times, 25th in OPP 3P% (36.9%)

OKC has multiple All-Defensive level perimeter defenders to handle both of their primary creators (Booke/Green)

Two areas to watch for in the OKC-Phoenix series are:

Possession Battle ⬇️

Phoenix: 112.9 DRTG (9th), 33.1 OREB% (6th), 14.5 TOV (15th), 16.3 OPP TOV (3rd), 19.9 PTS OFF TOs (5th)

OKC: 106.5 DRTG (1st), 69.7 DREB% (13th), 12.6 TOV (2nd), 16.7 OPP TOV (2nd), 22.0 PTS OFF TOs (1st)

Oklahoma City Thunder-Phoenix First Round Schedule ⬇️

An area to monitor is OKC's performance on the road

Home/Road Splits during 2025 Playoffs

Home: 11-2 Record. 120.2 ORTG, 100.2 DRTG, 120.5 PPG, 47.1% FG%, 36.6% 3P%, 11.1 TOV, +19.9 plus-minus

Road: 5-5 Record. 106.7 ORTG, 112.9 DRTG, 107.2 PPG, 43.7% FG%, 29.9% 3P%, 14 TOV, -6.7 plus-minus

One Potential Flaw for Each NBA Title Contender Several teams in each conference have separated themselves as legitimate contenders for an NBA title, but none of them are perfect.

One Potential Flaw to Monitor for Each NBA Title Contender

lwosports.com/one-potentia...

The aftermath of the Play-in: OKC’s 2026 First Round Pick from the Clippers is officially slotted in the #12 spot

• 7.1% odds to jump into the Top 4
• 86.1% odds to stay at #12
• 6.7% odds to move down to #13
• .1% odds to fall to #14

My first-round picks:

Eastern Conference

Detroit>Orlando in 7:
Cleveland>Toronto in 6:
New York>Atlanta in 6:
Boston>Philly in 5:

Western Conference

OKC>Phoenix in 5:
Houston>LA in 5:
Denver>Minnesota in 6:
San Antonio>Portland in 4:

Why Chet Holmgren Has the Most to Gain Among His Young Peers Now, with two playoff runs under him, the 2026 NBA Playoffs give Holmgren the most to gain among his peers.

Why Chet Holmgren Has the Most to Gain

lwosports.com/chet-holmgre...

OKC Thunder’s Playoff X-Factors Oklahoma City will need one of its greatest strengths: its depth, to continue its reign over the league. Here are the Thunder's playoff x-factors.

Defining Factors in the Playoffs for OKC

lwosports.com/okc-thunders...

Nikola Topic was supposed to be slotted in as their 2024 FRP. Thought I corrected it. Nevertheless, what an outcome from this deal

Had Topic in the slot. Thought I corrected it — my error. Good catch!

Their 2024 Clippers pick (which was a part of the Paul George trade) was traded to Dallas for a 28 FRP swap + the Thunder have an unprotected pick swap in next year's draft for being a facilitator in the Harden trade to the Clippers

So 2 more pick swap rights with the Clippers remain

The full Paul George trade:

Clippers received:
Paul George

Thunder received:
Shai-Gilgeous Alexander
Danilo Gallinari
2021 FRP (Tre Mann)
2022 FRP (Jalen Williams)
2024 FRP (Dillion Jones)
2025 FRP (Thomas Sorber)
2026 FRP (Will select in the lottery again)
2 pick swaps

Here’s a Basketball starter pack full of hidden gems for the start of postseason play.

All great follows with less than 5k followers currently. Some with less than 100 followers all posting good basketball content on the number one app for sports. @bsky.app

Check out the pay increases for WNBA rookies versus last year 👀

No. 1 pick salary up from $78K to $500K