Game 1 Dominance Is Important In The OKC Thunder's Opening Playoff Series

The Thunder will need to be ready from the jump as Phoenix looks to shock the world in the first round of the playoffs.

April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches game action against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

OKC is looking to make a statement from the opening tip-off. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to take on the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in the first game of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Oklahoma City has been prepared for this challenge all year as it enters as the overall one seed, and it is looking to keep this dominant persona up. 

This will involve taking care of business and not letting the Suns get any momentum on Sunday, as it will be a prime deciding factor in the outcome of the series. Yes, it might just be Game 1, but whoever takes Game 1 will claim momentum for the series and will leave their opponent playing catch-up. 

Last postseason, the Thunder went 2-2 in Game 1’s and struggled when they couldn’t take care of business in the opening game. They, of course, won both of these series, but both went all the way to seven games. On the other hand, the two series that OKC won the opening game went to four games and five games, leaving the team with plenty of cushion room down the stretch. 

Tasked to lead this challenge will be none other than the MVP himself, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He led the Thunder in scoring in three of the four postseason series openers last year, averaging over 29 points in those Game 1’s. Gilgeous-Alexander will once again be called upon to carry the load of this Oklahoma City offesne, and hopefully get the Thunder their first win of the postseason. 

Not only will a win give OKC a little bit of breathing room in the series, but it will give them the first steps in completing a sweep in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row. Ending the series in four games would give the Thunder tons of momentum heading into the second round and would also give them much-needed rest as they prepare for a team like the Rockets or the Lakers. 

At the end of the day, it isn’t imperative that the Thunder win the first game of the series, but it would be helpful. With Oklahoma City being the defending champions, everyone will be giving the squad their best effort and will be looking to take the crown. The Thunder will have to make sure they never get into a position where they are crawling themselves out of a hole, and they could avoid that with a Game 1 win on Sunday.