A clutch Booker dagger and overwhelming rebounding fueled Phoenix's comeback win, leaving OKC stunned despite leading most of the way.
In what was a fairly uncharacteristic game for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team went to Phoenix and fell to the Suns 108-105 on Sunday night. It was a game that saw both offenses stuck in the mud all night, with neither team able to really get the scoring going.
That was clear right away in the first quarter, which ended 26-20 with the Thunder in front. By halftime, it was a 49-42 game that Oklahoma City still led, and it felt like one of those nights where you weren’t sure either team would break 100 points. Ultimately, both did, and it came down to one big shot in the clutch to make all the difference.
Tied at 105, Devin Booker hit a remarkable step-back 3-pointer over Alex Caruso and Lu Dort to give Phoenix a three-point lead with 0.7 seconds left. From there, Ajay Mitchell missed the game-tying attempt, and Oklahoma City fell for the sixth time this season.
What really made the difference in this one was the rebounding battle. Phoenix pulled down 49 boards to the Thunder’s 29, including 12 offensive rebounds to OKC’s 2. The Thunder, per usual, won the turnover battle and generated additional shot opportunities off of it, but the Suns’ offensive rebounding largely neutralized that advantage by creating extra possessions of their own.
And even though Oklahoma City led for 38 minutes, it didn’t matter in the end because Phoenix made the final play.
The Thunder shot better from the floor and at the free throw line, but the Suns won the 3-point battle, and Jordan Goodwin was the headliner there, knocking down 8 of his 13 attempts from deep. Ryan Dunn hit 3 of his 7, while Booker finished with 24 points. Dillon Brooks scored 22, and those contributions, paired with Phoenix’s second-chance points, ultimately swung the game.
For Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was relatively quiet by his standards with 25 points. Jalen Williams had one of his best games of the season with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Chet Holmgren pitched in 18 points and nine rebounds as well. But the Thunder just couldn’t find enough of a scoring punch beyond the Big 3. Mitchell and Lu Dort had 13 points each, but nobody else on the roster scored more than five.
Still, Oklahoma City remains 4.5 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for first place in the Western Conference. From here, the Thunder heads back home to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night on the second night of a back-to-back.