The Oklahoma City Thunder begin their NBA title defense on Sunday when they host the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Oklahoma City enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed after finishing 64-18 and securing the conference’s top spot for the third straight season.
That consistency has placed the Thunder among the league favorites entering the playoffs. Oklahoma City is also chasing a rare repeat championship after winning the NBA title last season. No team has successfully defended its championship since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
Much of the spotlight remains on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is widely viewed as a leading candidate to win his second straight NBA MVP award. Ahead of Game 1, Oklahoma City also made its first key postseason decision by confirming the starting lineup it will use against Phoenix.
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup Against Phoenix Suns
The Thunder announced they will start Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein on Sunday.
The lineup reflects the group Oklahoma City has trusted most in major matchups this season, combining elite perimeter defense, frontcourt size and offensive versatility.
Gilgeous-Alexander remains the centerpiece. He followed last season’s MVP-level campaign with another dominant year, averaging 31.1 points while improving his efficiency to 55.3% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range.
He recently addressed the challenge of defending a title while remaining individually motivated.
“Repeating and doing something again is always a little bit harder and a little bit more challenging,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The league gets better. Players get better.”
Dort gives Oklahoma City one of the league’s toughest on-ball defenders and is expected to draw difficult perimeter assignments against Phoenix.
Williams provides secondary scoring and playmaking after another strong season despite missing time with injuries.
Holmgren and Hartenstein form one of the NBA’s most flexible frontcourts. Both can protect the rim, rebound and contribute offensively in different ways.
The Thunder used many lineup combinations during the regular season because of injuries, but this five-man unit offers balance on both ends entering the postseason.
Against a Phoenix team led by Devin Booker, Jalen Green and key role players, Oklahoma City’s defensive identity will be central from the opening tip.
Mark Daigneault and Thunder Focus on New Season, Not Last Year’s Title
GettyHead coach Mark Daigneault with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Head coach Mark Daigneault has emphasized that Oklahoma City is treating this playoff run as a fresh challenge rather than a continuation of last year’s championship.
“We’ve tried to look at it as a new season, that started from scratch,” Daigneault said. (via The Guardian) “Last year was great, no one’s taken that away from us, but it’s also over.”
He added that the Thunder approached the season as “a new blank canvas that we’ve had to paint on.”
That mindset helped Oklahoma City avoid the inconsistency that often affects defending champions. The Thunder managed multiple injuries throughout the year but still finished with the West’s best record.
They ranked fifth in points per game at 119 and led the NBA in several defensive categories, including defensive rating, defensive field-goal percentage, deflections and points off turnovers.
Daigneault praised the team’s approach beyond talent alone.
“The thing that I marvel at with this team is in order to be a good player an impactful player and have an impactful team, there are a lot of invisible things that don’t give you a lot of attention in the game,” he said.
Those details now become more important in playoff basketball.
Phoenix enters as the No. 8 seed and will look to pressure the defending champions right away. But Oklahoma City’s continuity, depth, and star power make it one of the most complete teams in the field.
Sunday’s lineup announcement signals stability for a team with championship expectations.
With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way and a familiar starting five in place, the Thunder open the postseason trying to take the first step toward another title.
Thunder Announce Starting Lineup Decision Vs Suns After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander News