OKC Thunder Push Past First Half Defecit to Defeat Phoenix

Despite an ugly opening 24 minutes, the Thunder showed no signs of losing in the second half, leading to an impressive win.

Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) push for position during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The opening half of the Oklahoma City Thunder's matchup with the Phoenix Suns was shaky. It was streaky and they looked a little slow. However, a hot second half from a variety of players helped them find a 125-112 victory on the road.

Missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a difference, but so did the absences of guards Lu Dort and Cason Wallace. Not having big man Isaiah Hartenstein also made a difference, leaving the Thunder without some key pieces that could contribute to winning.

Hartenstein's absence was arguably felt the most in the opening minutes of the game, given the rebounding deficit the Thunder faced. At half-time, they trailed 22-12 in that category. By the end of the game, however, OKC led 44-38.

They were also missing Gilgeous-Alexander, which doesn't come as a surprise. His scoring comes so naturally and easy and it is hard to make up, but guard Jalen Williams did just about all he could with his star companion watching from the bench. Williams finished with 33 points on 13-for-23 shooting, adding five assists and seven rebounds to his stat line.

Williams' performance was walking proof that he can be the number one option on a team. He looked like an All-Star and played like one too, helping his team mount a comeback. There was also a small dropoff without Williams on the court.

OKC looked a step behind in the first half on both offense and defense, with the Suns shooting just a smidge more efficiently and playing slightly better defense. In just about every way, Devin Booker and the Suns controlled the opening 24 minutes, leading 67-62.

The game wouldn't have been remotely close without the efforts of Booker. He finished with 20 points on 9-for-20 shooting, adding an impressive 14 assists as well. Bradley Beal, however, stole the show for Phoenix. Despite coming off the bench during spurts this season, he came into the starting lineup and excelled against OKC, finishing with 25 points.

That being said, a few turnovers and a fastbreak, and one layup from forward Chet Holmgren quickly gave the Thunder a one-point lead, something that hadn't happened since early in the first quarter. Getting to the free throw line was another way the Thunder got right into Phoenix's lead.

Another reason for the early jump the Thunder took to open the second half was the defensive precision of guard Alex Caruso. He grabbed four steals in that short period of time and forced other deflections to help quickly put Oklahoma City up by seven, under four minutes into the quarter.

So many small details helped the Thunder surge in front and hold onto a lead in the second half. Whether it was the offensive production to the defense of guard Isaiah Joe, the OKC had a ton of help from their depth pieces. They got so much help that they led by 12 heading into the final quarter.

The nights of Holmgren and guard Aaron Wiggins were beyond important as the game went on. Holmgren finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while shooting 5-for-12 from the field. He also went 12-for-13 from the free-throw line, making it a point to be aggressive at the rim.

Wiggins also played well, finishing with 17 points and five rebounds on 8-for-15 shooting. He'd been quiet over his recent stretch of games, marking a potential resurgence on offense at the right time of the season.

As the Oklahoma City defense tightened up and the Suns' offense dried up, the road team pulled away. Not having their star player and potential MVP award winner didn't end up mattering, thanks to a very well-rounded performance from everyone on the team.

With only two games remaining in the regular season, the second-to-last game for the Thunder is against the Utah Jazz, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11.

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