After all the smoke and the criticism, the Oklahoma City Thunder is now heading into the second round. Out of all teams in the playoffs, only OKC finishes with an undefeated round. By now, it’s sending a strong message to the rest of the league. Following another majestic Thunder sweep, it seems that OKC is heading into the West Semis with a lot of confidence in their game.
From dominant finishes to clutch performances and overwhelming defense, the defending champs just showed why they deserve more praise. In fact, this series proved that their level of consistency is nuts. They are a much better team, and it should continue on its way to the next round.
Thunder Sweep Shows Bigger Mentality For OKC
Sweeping the Phoenix Suns isn’t for everyone. In fact, there were some glimpses that the Suns would find a way to steal at least one game. This year’s playoffs have also shown that sweeping a team alone is not an easy feat, given the fact that OKC stands as the only team to achieve it.
Thunder’s 4-0 Victory Over Suns Shows More Hunger From OKC
If you look back at their championship season, this is a much different Thunder team. The squad is showing much better chemistry overall and an ability to play off each other. Of course, a whole lot of this has to do with the consistency of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren‘s rise to stardom. However, it just seems that everyone is seemingly more connected and locked in.
Hustling like they’re the ones that are down 3-0. pic.twitter.com/W4XPu5DxA1
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) April 28, 2026
The Thunder vs Suns Game 4 finish was proof of that. Phoenix was trying to claw its way back in the final four minutes of the game. And yet, OKC showed perfect composition in that final stretch, showing what elite basketball can be from the defending champions. Defense was sending triple-teams to SGA most of the time, and the Thunder simply let the other guys finish the deed.
The Thunder bench was rolling, the double big combo of Isaiah Hartenstein and Holmgren simply owned the game, and they didn’t look back. Then there’s Ajay Mitchell, who is stepping up with Jalen Williams out with an injury. He’s getting a lot of comparisons to the 2012 version of James Harden. All in all, the Thunder sweep didn’t come as a surprise at this point.
What’s Next For OKC’s Playoff Chase?
By now, it is clear that Oklahoma City still has a full advantage over its next opponent. Either the Los Angeles Lakers finish it in five games, or the Houston Rockets bring themselves to a comeback victory. Regardless, OKC gets a much-needed rest ahead of the West Semis, considering that J-Dub is on a week-to-week basis with his hamstring injury.
A date with Kevin Durant and the Rockets is a great test for the Thunder once more. Fans have already embraced Russell Westbrook with respect and later as an opponent in the previous West Semis. Going at KD in a playoff series, however, would send the Paycom Center into a massive version of its Loud City moniker.
SGA on Round 2: "I've already been watching all of the Lakers and Houston series."
He says he's going to continue to do so to try and find each team's strengths and weaknesses.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) April 28, 2026
How about a battle with LeBron James and a potential rematch with Luka Doncic? Now that’s going to be a promising watch for NBA fans. The Lakers are doing better despite the fact that they are missing two of their best players. They currently stand to be Oklahoma City’s opponent in the second round, holding a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Rockets. If anything, this also puts OKC’s limits to the test, showing how they can match up against varying lineups.
In hindsight, fans can hope for more growth from this young yet elite OKC squad. If we’re even lucky, maybe another Thunder sweep is at hand.
Featured Image: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
