NBA: Thunder cruise past Suns again but lose Jalen Williams

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a stellar performance, scoring 37 points and recording nine assists, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. With the win, Oklahoma City took a commanding 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

However, the victory came at a potential cost. Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who had already been limited to just 33 games during the regular season due to injury concerns, was forced to leave the game midway through the third quarter with a left hamstring injury.

"We'll take a look at it in the next couple of days, and we'll update you guys appropriately," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the game.

Williams pulled up during a drive to the basket and immediately grabbed at his hamstring as the play moved in the other direction. He did not return to the game. Prior to the injury, Williams was having an excellent performance, tallying 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and dishing out four assists in 23 minutes of play.

This injury marks another setback for Williams, who had previously missed significant time during the regular season due to a right wrist injury and another hamstring issue.

Despite Williams' exit, Oklahoma City controlled the game, particularly in the third quarter, with Gilgeous-Alexander and rookie Chet Holmgren playing key roles. Holmgren grabbed three rebounds in the first three possessions of the second half and finished the quarter with 11 points and three blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 12 points and four assists during the same period, allowing the Thunder to extend their lead.

The Thunder ended the third quarter on a dominant 13-2 run, pushing their advantage to 23 points. They eventually increased the lead to 26 early in the fourth, though the Suns made a brief run. Phoenix cut the lead to 10 with just under four minutes remaining. However, after a timeout, Ajay Mitchell nailed a crucial 3-pointer, putting Oklahoma City back up by 13 at 113-100.

"We did a really good job building the lead that we did in the third heading into the fourth," said Daigneault. "Obviously, the fourth was a little wacky, but generally, it was a good one. We built a strong lead and were able to hold it."

Phoenix's Dillon Brooks, who was a standout performer for the Suns, scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. Despite his efforts, the Suns could not recover from Oklahoma City's strong third-quarter surge.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a slow start in Game 1, missed his first three shots in Game 2 but quickly found his rhythm. After a cold start, he went on to hit 7 of his next 10 shots in the first half, finishing the game with an efficient 13-of-25 shooting performance.

"Shai made the right play all night," Daigneault praised. "His floor game was outstanding. He got us really good shots."

Tempers flared briefly during the game when Brooks and Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort were both called for technical fouls after a brief altercation while fighting for a rebound early in the third quarter. Later in the period, Devin Booker was also called for a technical foul after inadvertently bouncing the ball off Williams while trying to keep it in play.

"This is a playoff series, so a lot of stuff happens," said Suns head coach Jordan Ott. "We can do a better job keeping our composure at times."

Booker finished with 22 points for the Suns, while Jalen Green added 21 in the loss.

The series now shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Saturday.

-Field Level Media/Reuters