Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
By Joel Reyes
The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and the No. 8 seed Phoenix Suns will face off in the first round of the 2026 NBA Western Conference Playoffs starting on Monday (PH time).
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Alta Sports breaks down this best-of-seven series, identifying the key players for both squads, their previous head-to-head matchups, as well as the schedule for their upcoming games.
Best-of-7 Schedule (PH time)
Game 1 – Phoenix at Oklahoma City (Monday, April 20, 3:30 a.m.)
Game 2 – Phoenix at Oklahoma City (Thursday, April 23, 9:30 a.m.)
Game 3 – Oklahoma City at Phoenix (Sunday, April 26, 3:30 a.m.)
Game 4 – Oklahoma City at Phoenix (Tuesday, April 28, TBD)
Game 5 – (if necessary) – Phoenix at Oklahoma City (Thursday, April 30, TBD)
Game 6 – (if necessary) – Oklahoma City at Phoenix (Saturday, May 2, TBD)
Game 7 – (if necessary) – Phoenix at Oklahoma City (Monday, May 4, TBD)
Head-to-head matchups in 2025-26 season
Oklahoma City and Phoenix met five times in the regular season, with the Thunder holding a 3-2 advantage. OKC won its first two meetings with Phoenix at home, including a 138-89 demolition on Dec. 11.
The Suns responded with a 108-105 victory on Jan. 5 before the Thunder delivered another beatdown, a 138-89 victory on Feb. 12. Phoenix crushed OKC 135-103 in their final meeting of the regular season, with both teams resting their regulars in that contest.
Key Players
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put together another MVP-caliber campaign in the 2025-26 season, averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game. He punished the Suns this campaign, averaging 30.0 points and 7.3 assists through three meetings.
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Devin Booker led the Suns in scoring and assists this season, averaging 26.1 points and 6.0 dimes per game. He faced OKC twice this season, averaging 22.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 7.0 rebounds in those meetings.