BBNBA Playoffs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder storm by Suns in Game 2

The 1-seed Oklahoma City Thunder entered Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs against the 8-seed Phoenix Suns as a 17.5-point favorite. OKC actually had better odds to win by 41 than the Suns did to win the game outright. Phoenix had some starters out, but they also won 45 games during the regular season. It isn’t as if they are a bunch of chumps out there. The truth is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his defending champion squad are just that good. In fact, they had a 17.5-point spread covered easily after three quarters, leading by 23 going into the final frame.

This is normally part of the game when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits the entirety of the 4th quarter, but the Suns kept fighting. Devin Booker, who had 22 points, helped Phoenix cut the lead to as few as 10, but it must be nice when the MVP is also clutch.

SGA, the soon-to-be back-to-back NBA MVP and Clutch Player of the Year, kept the Suns at arm’s length during their too-little-too-late comeback attempt. Even more impressively, he did so while battling a hand ailment.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a bit of a scare in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly on his left hand, bending his fingers backward. He was holding it in visible pain, wincing up and down the court, and for a moment it looked like he might be hindered the rest of the game.

Spoiler alert: he wasn’t.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 37 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals as the Thunder rolled. Cason Wallace did not get in the scoring column, but remained a key part of the Thunder’s ranking as the best defensive team in the league, coming away with two steals. Wallace may be looked upon to score more in Game 3 and beyond if Jalen Williams misses time. The third-team All-NBA player for OKC went down with a hamstring injury, and his status is uncertain.

The series now moves to the Valley of the Sun with OKC holding a comfortable 2-0 lead.

4/22/2026 Statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	P/M	MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	120-107 W vs. PHX	37	13-25 (2-5)	5	9	2	0	3	+16	38
Devin Booker (PHX)	107-120 L vs. OKC	22	7-14 (0-3)	7	4	1	0	6	-12	40
Cason Wallace (OKC)	120-107 W vs. PHX	0	0-2 (0-2)	6	2	2	0	0	+3	21

Tonight in the BBNBA Playoffs

TIME/TV	MATCHUP	SERIES
7:00 p.m. ET | Prime Video	(3) Knicks (Towns) @ (6) Hawks	East Round 1: Series tied 1-1
8:00 p.m. ET | Prime Video	(4) Cavaliers @ (5) Raptors (Quickley)	East Round 1: CLE leads 2-0
9:30 p.m. ET | Prime Video	(3) Nuggets (Murray) @ (6) Timberwolves (Randle)	West Round 1: Series tied 1-1