Stars shine and role players deliver as the Thunder dominate the Suns. Discover standout performances and see who earned top marks.
The Thunder swept their first-round series for the third consecutive year and now await the winner of the Rockets and Lakers in the second round.
Check out player grades for the Suns series below. Only the top 10 Thunder players in total minutes played during the series were graded – apologies to Aaron Wiggins, Jared McCain, Kenrich Williams and Nikola Topić.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (A+): Although Gilgeous-Alexander had a rough Game 1, he finished the series at 33.8 points per game on 67.8% true shooting and averaged eight assists compared to only 2.3 turnovers. The superstar led Oklahoma City to a sweep despite Jalen Williams’ injury and resembled prime Michael Jordan.
Jalen Williams (A+): Injuries cut Williams’ series short, but he was flawless when on the court. Williams averaged 28.4 points per 36 minutes on 70.5% true shooting and dominated defensively. If he manages to stay healthy and plays like he did against Phoenix, then the Thunder may cruise to a title. Oklahoma City’s stars were that impressive.
Chet Holmgren (A+): The Suns shot an abysmal 59.4% inside the restricted area mainly due to Holmgren’s rim protection. He was a defensive beast who often forced Phoenix’s offense to rely on tough jump-shots. Holmgren also added 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game on 70.6% true shooting. The Gonzaga product could have been less passive offensively during the non-Gilgeous-Alexander minutes, but he was too dominant to not receive an A+ grade.
Alex Caruso (A+): The veteran is simply built for playoff basketball. Caruso harassed Phoenix’s ball handlers, notched key steals and shot 47.1% from beyond the arc on 4.3 attempts per game. Excluding garbage time, Oklahoma City outscored Phoenix by 34.7 points per 100 possessions during Caruso’s minutes. That was the third-best mark on the team behind Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams.
Isaiah Hartenstein (A): He’s not a flashy player, but Hartenstein excelled in his role against the Suns. He scored 11 points per game on 77.2% true shooting and controlled the glass on both ends of the court. Hartenstein’s size and physicality often placed the Suns in foul trouble. On the flip side, the veteran averaged 3.8 personal fouls across 23.5 minutes per game, so he needs to cut down on this in future series.
Luguentz Dort (A): Devin Booker was locked in the Dorture Chamber all series, which effectively neutralized Phoenix’s offense. Dort was also passable as a shooter (36.4% from deep) and did not commit a single turnover.
Ajay Mitchell (B+): How can Mitchell earn a B+ when he shot 36.4% from the field? The sophomore stepped up when Jalen Williams injured his hamstring and led the non-Gilgeous-Alexander minutes as the main ball handler, playmaker and scorer. Mitchell’s poise under pressure is a big reason behind why the series was a sweep. He also held his own defensively.
Cason Wallace (B): The Kentucky product averaged two steals per game, and Phoenix’s offense only scored 103.4 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. However, Wallace was sometimes bullied on drives by jumbo ball handlers, and he shot 30.8% on triples. It was a solid but not spectacular series from him.
Jaylin Williams (C+): Williams shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc, so he struggled to knock down shots. His defense was also hit or miss, but Williams moved the basketball well on offense as a playmaker. He also gets credit for Oklahoma City dominating his minutes even if he was not the driving force.
Isaiah Joe (C+): Joe shot 35% from beyond the arc and does not stack up defensively to the Thunder’s other guards. However, the sharpshooter deserves leeway because he missed Game 3 due to personal reasons and was still mentally recovering in Game 4. Look for Joe to bounce back in the next series.