Thunder open NBA Cup play with dominating win over Suns

OKC 99 PHX 83

The more things change, the more they stay the same. On an alternate navy NBA Cup court, the Thunder (11-2) hounds shut down the disintegrating Suns (9-4) for a familiar result: a double-digit OKC win with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28/6/4) leading all scorers and the opposing offense crying uncle.

They won again with style, but of a different fashion this time. Oklahoma City was a modest +4 in turnovers and had just 6 steals (half their season average), most of which came with the game already in hand. But we're in the stocks business, baby. All five starting guards had a block, with 8 in total between them (Kenrich Williams swatted another 3). OKC played with force and athleticism Phoenix couldn't hope to match–even in the interior, the theoretical vulnerability for this team.

I invited Jusuf Nurkic to "feast" with a few extra rebounds in our pregame primer, but even my cocky take came well short of predicting a whimpering 8 rebound, 0-7 night from the behemoth (with a few extra bricked free throws than normal). He faced a dizzying flurry of arms and bodies from the Thunder pests a half foot shorter and six stones lighter than him. Fitting that Nurkic was subbed out with five minutes left to make way for Phoenix's human defeat cigar, the 7"3 Bol Bol.

Next up: a Western semis rematch with the Mavs on Sunday.