PHOENIX \u2013 Oklahoma City\u2019s first-round dominance in the NBA playoffs continues.<\/p>\n
The road should get at least a little tougher in the coming weeks \u2014 but there’s little doubt the defending champions are well-equipped to defend their title.<\/p>\n
The Thunder finished off a four-game sweep of the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, winning 131-122<\/a> after pulling away in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City is 12-0 in the first round over the past three years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a really good feeling,” guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of the sweep. \u201cJust for our confidence as a group, it’s good to get the playoff run started the right way. You never know what can happen \u2014 and usually the later you go, the better the teams, and the series won’t go like that. You want to give yourself as many days as possible to rest.\u201d<\/p>\n The 27-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit like the reigning Most Valuable Player against the Suns, averaging 33.8 points and shooting 55.1% from the field. He was at his best in Game 3, scoring 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting<\/a>.<\/p>\n He was very good again in Game 4, scoring 31 points on 10-of-17 shooting. The Thunder’s offense was at its best in the series finale, with Chet Holmgren scoring 24 and Ajay Mitchell adding 22. <\/p>\n Oklahoma City shot nearly 54% from the field and made 17 of 34 (50%) 3-pointers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe played the right way, nothing out of the usual,\u201d Gilgeous-Alexander said. \u201cGuys were out there making aggressive plays and playing for each other. We have a formula we try to play with and we try to impose it every night.\u201d<\/p>\n The Thunder will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the Western Conference semifinals. The Lakers have a 3-1 lead after the Rockets won Game 4<\/a>.<\/p>\n