The Thunder Frontcourt Showed Defensive Dominance In Series Opener

The Suns had a difficult time scoring down low on Sunday afternoon.

Apr 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) gestures after scoring against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter 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 made Phoenix earn every single one of its points. 

The Thunder easily took game one of their opening playoff series on Sunday afternoon with a blowout win over Phoenix. OKC didn’t have a problem scoring, but the main reason for this easy win was the outstanding performance of the Thunder defense. 

The Suns never scored more than 24 points in a quarter, which in the end limited them to only scoring 84 points, a total that will not be good enough to beat OKC. Some of the reasons for this were the Thunder winning the turnover battle and playing its usual brand of suffocating defense, but it all started down low. 

Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have continued to prove themselves as one of the most dominating frontcourts in the league, and Sunday afternoon was another showing of why that is true. Both Holmgren and Hartenstein had two blocks each, but their defensive presence goes far beyond when they actually get their hands on a shot. 

In Sunday’s bout, the Suns only scored 24 total points in the paint. This total in the paint most likely won’t cut it against any team, but especially not against a Thunder team that put up 52 points from down low. 

This seems to be a common occurrence for Oklahoma City, as they were second in the league this season in opponent points per game in the paint, with opponents averaging 41.3. Furthermore, it seems like this issue is common for Phoenix, ranking No. 29 in points per game in the paint with 42.7. When you combine one of the Thunder’s biggest strengths with one of the Sun’s biggest weaknesses, you get the pathetic 24 points seen on Sunday. 

In turn, the dominance down low meant the Suns would have had to beat OKC with their shots from deep, and Phoenix could not live up to the challenge. The Suns would shoot 33% from beyond the arc, only making 13 of their 39 attempts. 

As the series continues, Oklahoma City will have to make sure this pressure in the frontcourt stays as dominant as it did in the series opener. One game, the Suns might start to hit their shots from three, but if down low stays on lockdown, Oklahoma City could still come out victorious. 

Holmgren and Hartenstein will have to continue to live up to the challenge and make sure that the series ends quickly because of the lack of Suns’ points in the paint.