Sharpshooting by Payton Sandfort Highlights Takeaways from Thunder's Loss to Suns

The Oklahoma City Thunder closed the books on another successful regular season Sunday night, losing to the Phoenix Suns 135-103 at Paycom Center. OKC ends its season with a 64-18 record, the best record in the NBA.

Thunder rookie Nikola Topic had an 18-point, 14-assist double-double in the loss. His 14 assists tied a Thunder rookie record.

Both teams rested the majority of their usual rotation players, but this could be a potential matchup in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Suns are the No. 7 seed, meaning they play the Thunder if they lose their first play-in game and win their second.

Here are three takeaways from OKC's final regular season outing.

Mar 27, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Payton Sandfort (14) stands on the court after checking into the game against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

1. Stellar Showing from Sandfort

Two-way wing Payton Sandfort knocked down 3-pointers early and often for the Thunder in their season finale. After scoring 12 points combined in his first few outings, the Iowa and Nebraska product tallied more points than all of those combined against the Suns.

Sandfort scored 23 points and drilled five shots from 3-point range. He also had three rebounds and a steal on his totals, shooting 9-for-13 overall.

A strong shooting performance was a pleasant sight to see from Sandfort, as he, among others, played his last game of eligibility on a two-way contract. Players on two-way deals are ineligible for postseason play.

Apr 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Rasheer Fleming (20) drives between Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nikola Topic (44) and forward Brooks Barnhizer (23) during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

2. Topic's Double Trouble

Oklahoma City's 2024 first-round draft pick continued his strong finish to a season of triumph with a double-double in the regular season's final game. In 39 minutes of action, Topic tallied 18 points, 14 assists and four rebounds.

The rookie had an efficient night as well, knocking down 8 of his 16 shot attempts as well as a pair of triples. The high usage rate also allowed some mistakes, as he turned the ball over five times.

Topic's 14 assists tied a Thunder rookie record, matching Josh Giddey's mark set against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 2, 2022.

Although he is not expected to partake in the Thunder's postseason rotation, Topic's potential is sky high.

April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kenrich Williams (34) dunks for the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

3. Heavy Run for a Familiar Veteran

Veteran forward Kenrich Williams played 33 minutes in the season's final outing, leading the charge for a team he's been with since the start of the new era of Thunder basketball.

Williams scored 13 points, while tallying nine rebounds and eight assists in a near-triple-double. He shot 5-for-12 from the floor, drilling two 3-pointers. The veteran could see action in the postseason depending on the matchup, just like last season.

Williams has seen every single team that head coach Mark Daigneault has led, always finding his way to make an impact on the floor.