Oklahoma City Thunder Battles Back From Behind, Hands Phoenix Suns 4th Home Loss

It was a game of catch up for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter of Sunday night's matchup, but that didn't last long, as it pulled away in the fourth to secure a victory before heading back home.

Fresh off of a last second loss to the Sacramento Kings on the road, the Oklahoma City Thunder suited up for the second-straight time without returning home, but this time against the loaded Phoenix Suns.

Still without Devin Booker, Phoenix was looking to bounce back after dropping a second game to the Los Angeles Lakers, but before it could do that, it'd have to face a motivated Thunder squad. 

So, with motivations made clear and a game still to play, both squads lined up at center court for tipoff. And from there, Oklahoma City came away victorious, knocking off the Suns 111-99.

Nov 12, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) drives to the net against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first quarter at Footprint Center / © Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports

Both the Thunder and the Suns kept the game close to start, going toe-to-toe from the floor — both shot over 45 percent from the field. Jalen Williams played a big role in the Thunder's scoring, finishing the night with 31 points, two steals and three 3-pointers, while Kevin Durant did his thing for the Suns, notching a 28-point performance in his team's loss. 

Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren was the first to scratch the scorecard, hitting a pair of free throws to give Oklahoma City a quick lead. It wasn't long, however, before Durant and Bradley Beal found their stroke to bring Phoenix within striking distance. 

Despite their high scoring — as both players combined for 11 first-quarter points — the Thunder kept itself out front until the penultimate shot of the period, and settled for a tie heading to the second quarter.

Williams came alive in the second quarter, scoring all of his points within the paint to equalize the Suns' duo, but despite he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who finished the game with 35 points — Phoenix took a five-point lead to halftime. 

From there, it was a game of catchup. At least in the third quarter. 

Josh Giddey got the Thunder's second-half scoring underway with a jump shot, while Holmgren and Williams continued to find the bottom of the bucket, helping their team to within one point of Phoenix multiple times. But still, the Suns' trio of Beal, Durant and Eubanks — the third-highest scorer of the night — made sure the Thunder remained behind by six points headed to final period of play. 

Oklahoma City didn't earn its first lead of the game until seven minutes remained in the fourth quarter, when Gilgeous-Alexander scored five straight to put the thunder up by four points. But again, more scoring from Beal allowed Phoenix to re-take the lead.

The Thunder continued to battle with the Suns, and finally managed to slightly pull away after Holmgren and Williams each notched a pair of free throws.

Then, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did his thing. With just under three minutes to play, he all-but officially sealed the deal, as he hit a 3-pointer to make his team's lead double digits for the first time of the night. Phoenix recovered and cut it back to single digits multiple times down the stretch, but it was to no avail. 

The damage had been done, and the Suns were sunk at home again — unable to notch their second home victory of the season by falling 111-99. 

With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 6-4 on its season and erases its loss from a game ago with a strong Western Conference road victory.

Now, the Thunder has its eyes set on a home game against the San Antonio Spurs, when Chet Holmgren will face Victor Wembanyama for the first time of the regular season. 

Tipoff from Paycom Center is set for 6:30 p.m. CST Tuesday.

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