Оклахома Сити Тандер баг Өрнөд бүсийн плей-оффын эхний тоглолтод Финикс Санс багийг 119-84 харьцаатайгаар бут ниргэж, цувралыг давамгайлалтайгаар эхлүүллээ. Багийн гол одууд болох Шэй Гилжес-Александер болон Жален Уильямс нар хамтдаа 47 оноо авч, талбайн хоёр талд гайхалтай тоглолт үзүүлсэн юм.
Тандер тоглолтын турш нэг ч удаа онооны дутуу байдалд оролгүй, зарим үед онооны зөрүүг 39-д хүргэж байв. Энэхүү ялалтад тэдний нэвтэршгүй хамгаалалт шийдвэрлэх үүрэг гүйцэтгэсэн бөгөөд Санс багийг 19 удаа бөмбөг алдуулахад хүргэж, үүнийгээ 34 оноо болгон хувиргаж чаджээ.
Тоглолтын гол үзүүлэлтүүд
Плей-ин тэмцээнээс шалгарч ирсэн Финикс Санс багийн хувьд зургаан хоног амарсан Оклахома Ситигийн хурд, хүчийг гүйцсэнгүй. Санс багийн төвийн тоглогчид бэртэлтэй байгаа нь тоглолтын явцад илт мэдрэгдэж байсан бөгөөд тэдний шидэлтийн хувь эхний хагаст ердөө 30.4% байсан юм.
Багийн лидерүүд өөрсдийн үүргээ амжилттай гүйцэтгэв:
- Шэй Гилжес-Александер: 25 оноо, 7 дамжуулалт
- Жален Уильямс: 22 оноо, 7 самбар, 6 дамжуулалт
- Чет Холмгрен: 16 оноо, 7 самбар
Цувралын ирээдүй
Хэдийгээр Санс баг плей-ин тэмцээнд Голдэн Стэйт Уорриорс багийг буулган авч плей-оффт шалгарсан нь том амжилт боловч эхний тоглолтын дүр зураг тэднийг маш хүнд сорилт хүлээж байгааг харууллаа. Тэд хоёр хоногийн дараа болох дараагийн тоглолтод тактикаа өөрчилж, илүү хүчтэй өрсөлдөөн үзүүлэх шаардлагатай байна.
Тандер багийн хувьд энэхүү ялалт нь тэдний залуу бүрэлдэхүүн плей-оффын хариуцлагатай тоглолтуудад хэдийнэ бэлэн болсныг батлан харуулсан үйл явдал боллоо.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
The Oklahoma City Thunder began their NBA championship defense with the same suffocating defense that won them last year’s title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 47 points, and the Thunder dominated both sides of the court en route to a 119-84 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday afternoon. Oklahoma City led by as many as 39 points and never trailed after taking a 14-12 lead with 7:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Against a Suns team fresh off Friday’s victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, the Thunder — on six days’ rest — overwhelmed Phoenix in every facet. The Suns had no answer for Oklahoma City’s swarming defense, which forced 19 turnovers resulting in 34 points. The Thunder led by 21 at halftime after scoring 21 points on 10 Suns turnovers and holding Phoenix to 30.4 percent shooting.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Here are some takeaways from Sunday’s game:
Dominance personified in OKC
The games need to be played, but it feels like Phoenix lies beneath a guillotine, awaiting its demise.
Its center rotation, down Mark Williams, looks beyond overwhelmed. As much as they pressure the ball, Oklahoma City showed there are levels to that physicality. Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin, Phoenix’s primary Gilgeous-Alexander defenders, were chained by foul trouble early.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 25 points and seven assists, completed one of the most forgettable shot-making games of his postseason career, and the Thunder entered the fourth quarter making fewer than 30 percent of their 3s — and yet the Thunder superstar never needed to touch the floor in the fourth.
By the looks of it, the Thunder could very well treat this first round as a rhythm series for Williams and Chet Holmgren. Williams, who suited up in just 34 games this regular season, looked sharp in Sunday’s win, tallying 22 points, seven boards and six assists on 15 shots. Holmgren added 16 points and seven boards.
Both will prove essential for a potential deep run. And for all the questions surrounding Williams’ health-related rhythm and Holmgren’s leap, this series looks like a prime opportunity for them to stretch their legs. — Joel Lorenzi
Is it over already?
The Suns aren’t winning this series, that’s clear. But they have to put up a bigger fight than what they showed in Game 1.
Before Sunday’s game, coach Jordan Ott mentioned the Suns’ resilience and how they deserved to make the playoffs. He’s right. From where they were last season — not even making the Play-In Tournament with the league’s most expensive roster — just being here is impressive. But it’s not enough. Getting embarrassed in the first round would chip away at the progress they’ve made.
The Suns may not win a game in this series — a likely outcome — but they have to make it competitive, all to show that the distance between the Western Conference’s first and eighth seed isn’t as long as a trip to the moon. Give them a pass for Sunday. While the Suns fought for survival in the Play-In Tournament, the Thunder waited and rested. They were ready to explode. And they did.
The Suns now have two days to prepare for Wednesday’s Game 2. They need to make the most of those days. — Doug Haller
