Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 Prediction, NBA Playoff Odds
Dillon Brooks’ antics were on full display, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 5-for-18 from the field, and yet, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns by 35 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference first round… yikes.
The Thunder won three of the four meaningful games against the Suns in the regular season. The one meaningful game the Suns won came when role player Jordan Goodwin scored a season-high 26 points while nailing eight shots from beyond the arc. He never cleared 20 points or five made threes in any other game this season.
Game 2 remains in Oklahoma City and tips off on Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Suns vs. Thunder NBA Betting Odds
The Suns enter this one as huge 17.5-point underdogs on the NBA odds and went 45-33-3 against the spread in the regular season, while the over on the point total cleared 36 times in their games. In the postseason, going back to the start of the play-in tournament, the Suns are 1-2 against the spread and just one of their games has gone over the point total. The total for Game 2 is set at 213.5.
The Thunder went just 39-41-1 against the spread in the regular season, despite winning 64 games. The over on the point total cleared 43 times in their games.
In three of the five meaningful games played between the Suns and the Thunder this year, the Thunder have won by 27, 35 and 39 in three of them.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns survived the throws of the play-in tournament without centre Mark Williams (11.7 PPG, 8.0 REB) and sixth man Grayson Allen (16.5 PPG, 3.8 AST, 1.4 STL), and got throttled by the Thunder in Game 1 without either of them. There is a chance both could play in Game 2, however, and the Suns sorely need them.
Allen only played against the Thunder once this year, and considering he is a career 40 per cent three-point shooter and took just under nine three-point attempts per game this season, the Suns need his shooting and floor spacing if they are to have any semblance of a chance, as the Thunder’s defence is tops in protecting the paint but can be vulnerable to exceptional outside shooting.
In Game 1, the Suns looked lost on offence, and any shot that wasn’t a Devin Booker jumper was futile. Booker scored 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, but Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green combined to go 12-of-38, and the Suns’ bench went for 24 points. Phoenix was held to just 16 assists while coughing up 19 turnovers. They scored two fast-break points and 24 paint points. If they don’t improve on 13-of-39 three-point shooting, this will be a quick series.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are fully healthy, and that is absolutely terrifying for the Suns. SGA played about as poorly as he could in Game 1, and he still went for 25 points, thanks to 15 made free throws. Jalen Williams was awesome with 22 points on over 50 per cent shooting, adding seven rebounds and six assists, Chet Holmgren added 16 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals, and the Thunder bench added 40 points.
OKC had 13 players score points in Game 1. How do you overcome that? The Thunder also only shot 30 per cent from deep on 46 attempts, but only had eight turnovers, scored 52 in the paint and 34 points off turnovers.
NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Suns vs. Thunder Game 2?
Even with key reinforcements, the Suns still don’t have enough to keep this a game in Oklahoma City. The Thunder’s depth is unparalleled and the Suns’ offence is too clunky to score consistently against the game’s top defence by a landslide. The Thunder should continue to overwhelm defensively and win with ease 115-94.
PHO
OKC