First Quarter Dominance Will Be Key For The OKC Thunder Next Season

Oklahoma City must make sure to start every game hot.

May 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks on during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City must continue to control games from the opening tip. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to come back with a vengeance this upcoming year after being sent home in last year’s Western Conference Finals. The squad has all the capabilities to be a top team in the league once again, and will have to continue what it does best to do so. 

One thing in particular that the Thunder must continue this upcoming season is starting games hot. OKC was no doubt one of the best first-quarter teams in the league last season. The team would score an average of 30.2 points in the opening quarter, which ranked them fifth in the league. However, it was how difficult Oklahoma City made its opponents' first quarter that set them apart. 

OKC had the best first-quarter defense in the NBA, as opponents only scored an average of 26.8 points. While a 3.4-point margin on average doesn’t seem like a lot, this hot start would propel the Thunder to continue to pull away for the remainder of the game. 

Additionally, without this first quarter boost, Oklahoma City sometimes struggled to get itself back in games. In the conference finals, the Thunder would only outscore the San Antonio Spurs once in the seven-game series during the first quarter, resulting in a couple of blowout losses and eventually costing them the series. 

With OKC being so dominant for a while now, every team brings its best for four full quarters, meaning it’ll be harder for the Thunder to weather the storm as time goes on in the game. Oklahoma City no doubt has the ability to do so, but an added boost in the first quarter would give them help when needed and help them avoid situations like the conference finals. 

Just like last season, this burden will mostly fall upon the Thunder’s defense and the chaos they can create. Forcing turnovers is the squad’s best friend, and if they can do so at the same level as last year, first quarters should belong to the Thunder once again. Of course, Oklahoma City will still have to find its shot early in the game as well, and will have more opportunities with said defense. 

Now, with another season on the horizon, OKC knows that it must take every game by storm from the beginning in order to have the best shot at winning.