Chaotic NBA First Round Helps Illustrate OKC Thunder's Dominance

The Thunder were the only team to sweep in the first round as most of the league is dealing with long opening series.

Apr 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) against the Phoenix Suns during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City is out of the first round, but most of the league is still trying to get out of the opening series.

On Monday night, the Thunder became the first team to punch their ticket to the second round of the playoffs. Finishing off their third straight first-round sweep, the Thunder have again established their dominance early in the postseason.

While a few teams have had an opportunity to end their series in the days since, the Thunder have been joined by only the San Antonio Spurs in the second round. While it’s unsurprising that the league’s top two teams became the first to advance, it is a bit surprising that the Thunder have seen only one team join them as first-round winners over the past two days.

Over the next couple of days, there will be six Game 6s across the league, with plenty of potential for multiple Game 7s this weekend. Considering how unpredictable the postseason has been for most teams thus far, it says something that the Thunder managed to be just as predictable as expected.

Going into the first round, no one anticipated the Suns to put up much of a fight beyond showing effort on the court as they have all season. Of course, that sort of prediction was also made for several other series that are inching closer to a Game 7.

Still, the Thunder wasted no time asserting their dominance in Game 1 and kept their foot on the gas throughout the four-game series. After struggling on the road in the 2025 playoffs, the Thunder also made a bit of a statement with two convincing wins in Phoenix.

Heading into the slate of Game 6s on Thursday and Friday, only the San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics have secured multiple road wins in these playoffs, alongside the Thunder. Considering those three are considered the favorites for the title, it seems that this first round is already saying something about what to expect as the postseason continues.

It’s almost impossible to predict what the second round will look like at this point, with so much uncertainty still in the air. However, the Thunder’s undeniable dominance against an inferior team shows that they’re ready for the moment once again and have earned their status as the favorite to win it all once again.

The Thunder will find out their second-round opponent and learn more about the rest of the playoff picture in the coming days, but for now, they stand nearly alone in the second round.