That’s a season for the Phoenix Suns. After drawing a first-round matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Suns ended up in a situation where not many believed they could pull off an upset win to advance to round two.
The defending NBA Champions took care of business with ease. From the start of the series, the Thunder were in total control, and they never looked back.
The Thunder completed the series sweep on Monday night with a 131-122 victory over Phoenix. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points on 10-17 shooting fro the field and 9-11 shooting from the charity stripe. He also had eight assists.
Now, the Thunder are going to be the first team to punch their ticket to the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Oklahoma City will spend some time waiting to find out its next opponent in the postseason.
Who Could Be Next For The Thunder?
The Los Angeles Lakers or the Houston Rockets.
Before the playoffs started, the latter team landed as the favorite to advance in most predictions.
The Lakers didn’t enter the postseason with the best of circumstances. Their top two scorers were out with injuries. Luka Doncic is dealing with a hamstring injury. Austin Reaves is out with an oblique-related setback.
Analysts and fans have seen LeBron James carry teams before, but the idea of him doing it at 41 years old made it difficult to imagine the Lakers had enough to survive in the postseason without Doncic and Reaves.
But the Lakers are putting together an upset in the eyes of the masses. Leading up to Game 4 on April 26, the Lakers held a 3-0 lead. The sweep was incomplete, as the Rockets picked up a Game 4 victory on Sunday. Still, the Lakers are favored to advance.
When Will The Second Round Begin?
The NBA has not released the second-round schedule just yet.
The round is expected to begin in early May. The Thunder could land their second-round opponent as early as Wednesday night. The Lakers and the Rockets are slated for a 10 PM ET tip on Wednesday, April 29.