Chet Holmgren Gives OKC Thunder Early Spark in Game 1

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren was active early and often Sunday against the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round.

Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) drives around Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) in the first quarter during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder love to set the tone in the first round. OKC dominated the Phoenix Suns inside a sold-out Paycom Center crowd Sunday night, 119-84, beginning its postseason similarly to how it did a season ago, dominance.

The Western Conference's No 1 seed saw a spark early on in the game from newly announced Defensive Player of the Year finalist Chet Holmgren, but his impact was felt on both sides of the floor. On top of all worldly defense, Holmgren scored 13 points in the first quarter, totalling 16 throughout the entire contest.

Holmgren attacked the shorthanded Suns frontcourt, without starting big man Mark Williams, who already lacks depth to begin with, allowing the Thunder to charge forward early in the game. The Gonzaga product ended the first quarter with a buzzer-beating fadeaway 3-pointer off a Hail Mary pass from Jaylin Williams to give his team a 15 point lead heading into the second quarter.

Holmgren scored three more points in the second quarter, but did not tally a statistic in the second half, sitting out the entire fourth quarter due to the Thunder's gargantuan lead. The center continued his elite form on the defensive end as well, consistently contesting shots from Suns players at the rim and the perimeter.

In the first half, the Phoenix Suns went 2-for-9 and 0-for-5 from 3-point range when Holmgren was the defender. He also tallied two steals and two blocks in his statsheet, capping off the first half of action with a blocked shot on a Devin Booker long-range attempt to beat the second quarter buzzer.

In his young NBA career, Holmgren has developed a trend of winning, being a key contributor on a No. 1-seeded team each of his three seasons in the league, bringing home his first ring in his second season of professional basketball. Holmgren's teammates credit his work ethic as a reason why he is a high-leverage performer.

"That's just his mentality, his work ethic," Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. "Chet is a guy who gets better every day, every year, and we're seeing that unfold right before our eyes.”

The Thunder's premier defender is poised to have a big opening series against the Suns, putting together two 20-plus point games against them in the regular season. He started his playoff run on a high note, as he hopes to aid the Thunder to a second consecutive NBA title.