Thunder Complete Sweep of Suns; Magic Push Pistons to the Brink in Playoffs
The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a dominant first-round playoff sweep against the Phoenix Suns with a 131-122 victory on Monday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points and eight assists, while Chet Holmgren contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell also shined with 22 points and six assists, helping the Thunder sweep their opening Western Conference series for the third consecutive season. Key contributions from the Thunder included: Isaiah Hartenstein: 18 points, 12 rebounds Alex Caruso: 14 points off the bench, with four 3-pointers The Thunder will advance to face either the Los Angeles Lakers or Houston Rockets in the next round. For the Suns, Devin Booker scored 24 points, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green each added 23 points. The Suns have now lost 10 consecutive playoff games dating back to 2023. In another matchup, the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 94-88, taking a 3-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Desmond Bane led the Magic with 22 points, hitting a crucial three-pointer with 1:16 left in the game. Franz Wagner scored 19 points before leaving with a calf injury, while Paolo Banchero added 18 points and Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Pistons, who entered the playoffs as the top seed, struggled in the closing minutes, failing to score a field goal in the last five minutes until Isaiah Stewart netted a buzzer-beater. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 25 points, but the team faced challenges with eight turnovers. Lastly, the Denver Nuggets kept their playoff hopes alive, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 125-113 in Game 5. Nikola Jokić starred with a triple-double of 27 points, 16 assists, and 12 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 24 points while Spencer Jones had a playoff career-high of 20 points. The Timberwolves, led by Julius Randle's 27 points, struggled with 25 turnovers in the loss.
Source: The Guardian Sport - 2026-04-28