Oklahoma City

Thunder

Williams got off to a blazing-hot start in Wednesday’s contest, scoring all 19 of his points in the first half, missing only one shot along the way; he scored it effectively both inside and outside the paint. Yet, his night ended prematurely after injuring his hamstring midway through the third quarter on a driving layup attempt. He exited the game at the next deadball, exited to the locker room, and never returned to the game. Williams was never officially ruled out, so perhaps that’s an encouraging sign ahead of Game 3. His status is certainly one to monitor over the coming days.

Holmgren anchored the middle defensively for the Thunder in a major way on Wednesday. The former second-overall pick repeatedly erased shots at the rim to account for two-thirds of his team’s total blocked shots, and had success at cleaning up the defensive glass. He scored in spurts on the offensive end to finish as one of OKC’s top scorers, with the three-point shot being a major factor. As he’s been effective on both ends of the floor, Holmgren is off to a strong start to begin the series. He’ll look to keep rolling in Game 3.

On the heels of winning the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award, SGA nearly put up 40 points on the eighth-seeded Suns. As usual, he was effective in the midrange, found production from beyond the arc, and was active at the charity stripe. Additionally, the reigning league MVP racked up several beautiful assists, enough to nearly notch a double-double, while also tying a team-high in steals. Essentially, Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for the Thunder in their Game 2 rout and will have a chance to do it again in Game 3.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 total clutch points and 6.5 points per game in clutch time, defined as games within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, according to a release from NBA PR. He also made a league-leading 16 go-ahead field goals in clutch time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the regular season as the overwhelming favorite to repeat as Most Valuable Player. He had 25 points in Sunday’s Game 1 victory over the Suns with Game 2 on Wednesday.

J-Dub and the Thunder grabbed control of Game 1 early and never looked back, winning by 35 points. As a playmaker, Williams was especially impactful during the second quarter, as he accounted for six points and four assists. Oklahoma City is a heavy favorite in this series, and its depth and defense carried the day in Game 1. They’ll look to do the same in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Holmgren came out hot in Game 1, scoring 13 points in the first quarter. He didn’t offer much production after that, but the Thunder really didn’t need much from him. Holmgren’s final line only lacked an assist, and he was one of three starters to block two shots. Oklahoma City’s bigs were excellent defensively, with Isaiah Hartenstein (eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks) and Jaylin Williams (five points, four rebounds, two assists, four steals and one three-pointer) joining Holmgren in recording at least two “stocks.” Holmgren is one of the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, joining San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson.

The Thunder began the postseason portion of their title defense with a 119-84 rout of the Suns, with the reigning league MVP leading the way. Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t shoot the ball well from the field, but his ability to apply pressure off the dribble and get to the foul line compensated for that. SGA was also responsible for seven assists, and the nature of Sunday’s game meant he needed to play just 29 minutes. Oklahoma City hosts Game 2 on Wednesday.

Carlson got a second straight start, and he was incredibly productive in both. He contributed 49 points, 22 rebounds, six blocks and eight triples as a starter over the last two games. Carlson is on a two-way deal, and he spent most of the season in the G League. With Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein both healthy, Carlson won’t see the floor much outside of blowouts during the playoffs.

Topić got his second straight start, which allowed him to record his second straight double-double. Having been diagnosed with cancer in October, Topić miraculously made his NBA debut in February, but he played a limited role up until the last two games. He still has plenty of upside, and he’ll likely be in the rotation for OKC next season. However, he won’t see the floor much during the playoffs.

Sandfort signed a two-way deal with OKC in March, and this was just his fourth appearance. The Thunder already clinched the best record in the league, which led to him playing 28 minutes for a second straight game. He had a monster performance off the bench in this game, but he likely won’t see the floor during the playoffs. Still, it was an impressive performance, and he’ll certainly be kept around the organization.