THE OKC Thunder seemed to remain undefeated against the Phoenix Suns this season when they faced off again on Sunday. Oklahoma won 111-99 on November 12 to open hostilities. With the two teams only scheduled to face each other three times, OKC clinches the season series with a victory in the rematch.
Phoenix made its first four shots to start the game with an early lead before OKC began to catch up. Without surprise, Kevin Durant paced the Suns with capable support from Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal. The absence of injured Devin Booker had already been felt by the home team midway through the first half.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sizzled for 10 points while Chet Holmgren added five. Isaiah Joe helped the Thunder score six points. They pushed Oklahoma to a 28-24 advantage after 12 minutes.
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The Suns did a better job guarding “SGA” early in the second quarter, but the extra attention made others look better. Lu Dort, Josh Giddey and Jalin Williams contributed more, with Phoenix sending double teams to the Thunder superstar.
The Phoenix Suns’ improvement in defense, however, was negated by their turnovers. They coughed up the ball eight times in the second half alone. Mistakes allowed the OKC Thunder to begin to pull away from the hosts.
A 20-6 onside kick to end the quarter gave Oklahoma a 66-52 advantage heading into the halftime break.
