OKC Thunder's Star Power on Full Display in Dominant Win vs. Suns

Oklahoma City secured another huge win, and its star power led the way from start to finish.

Over the course of the first month and a half of the season, the Thunder have established themselves as not only the best team in the league, but also one of the greatest teams of all time. With a suffocating defense and one of the deepest rosters the NBA has ever seen, there has been no shortage of praise for the Thunder.

While Oklahoma City has made headlines constantly throughout its impressive run, it has also been a bit overlooked in some areas. Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is well on his way to a second MVP, but the Thunder’s other stars haven’t necessarily gotten the spotlight they deserve.

In Wednesday’s NBA Cup win over the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder dominated in every facet, winning by 49. Despite none of the Thunder’s starters needing to take the floor in the fourth quarter, their big three still put up some incredible numbers.

Unsurprisingly, Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 28 points and eight assists on a hyper-efficient 11-of-15 shooting night. Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren also hit the 20-point mark with 24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while shooting 9-of-13 from the floor and looking like the best version of himself offensively.

Those two have been the Thunder’s dynamic duo throughout the early portion of the season, but Jalen Williams is clearly rounding into form after missing the first month recovering from wrist surgery. His game against the Suns featured a 15-point outing to go with five rebounds, five assists and a steal, showing flashes of his stardom as he eases into this season.

While there is no shortage of moments from Wednesday’s contest to point to, the opening possessions of the second half might be the best illustration of how scary Oklahoma City’s star power can be. Holmgren began the half with an iso and stepthrough layup against Mark Williams, then Williams drove past the Suns big man for a floater across the lane before Gilgeous-Alexander finished off a perfect first three possessions with an easy crossover into a layup, again making Mark Williams the victim.

Three consecutive buckets in isolation from the Thunder’s three stars to begin the half and thrust an already big lead even higher. Combining for 67 points in under three quarters of action, the Thunder’s big three gave the league another glimpse of what to expect for years to come against Phoenix.