OKC Thunder Should Have No Problems vs. Suns if This Game 1 Trend Continues

The Thunder dominated Game 1, and one stat shows why that might not change for the rest of the series.

Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) defends in the second half 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

Oklahoma City dominated its postseason opener, and one stat could carry that momentum throughout the series.

Coming into Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns, the Thunder knew they would have the upper hand in numerous areas. In the 119-84 victory, the Thunder displayed several of their features of dominance, from forcing turnovers to overwhelming star power.

However, there were still some areas that appeared to tilt in the Suns’ direction, most notably, 3-point shooting. While the Thunder and Suns were pretty similar in the regular season when it came to 3-point percentage, the Suns had an upper hand in 3-point volume, ranking fifth in 3-point attempts per game and seventh in 3-point attempt rate.

Averaging 40.8 3-point attempts and 45.3% of their shots from deep, it was no surprise to see 3-pointers make up 39 of Phoenix’s 83 shots. However, it was a bit surprising to see the Thunder have the edge in that department.

Of the Thunder’s 93 shots, 46 came from beyond the arc, making up nearly half of the defending champions’ shot diet. Although the Thunder shot slightly worse from deep, hitting 30.4% compared to Phoenix’s 33.3%, the Thunder would take those numbers every game.

The 46 3-point shots Oklahoma City took from outside would’ve ranked in the top 10 in the team’s regular season and would’ve ranked second in last year’s playoff run, fittingly behind only Game 1 against Memphis (48 attempts). As the playoffs drag on, the Thunder’s 3-point rate will almost certainly go down dramatically, but maintaining this type of shot diet against Phoenix could be a recipe for success.

Outside shooting variance is likely the key to Phoenix getting a win in this series at some point, so if the Thunder can combat that by getting up as many or more shots from beyond the arc, the math won’t favor Phoenix to the extent it’s hoping for. Add in all of the turnovers Oklahoma City forces, and that alone takes away several 3-point attempts that the Suns desperately need to create.

Even in a game with 17 turnovers, the Suns were only two 3-point attempts shy of reaching their season average. It’s obvious that the Suns care deeply about getting up as many threes as possible, but the Thunder continued to force Phoenix into tough, out of rhythm attempts on Sunday.

Assuming the Thunder can continue to lower the volume and quality of the Suns’ threes while taking a large amount of their own, there might not be a path to a single win for Phoenix in this series.