OKC Thunder rests stars again in loss to Suns, now awaits NBA Playoffs

Q: What was the final score of the OKC Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns game?

The final score was 135-103 in favor of the Phoenix Suns.

Q: Who led the scoring for the Phoenix Suns in their game against the Thunder?

Jamaree Bouyea led the scoring for the Suns with 27 points and nine assists.

Q: What seed are the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference?

The Phoenix Suns are the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Q: What is the OKC Thunder's record for the regular season?

The OKC Thunder finished the regular season with a record of 64-18.

The OKC Thunder dropped its 18th and final game this season in a 135-103 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea led all scorers with 27 points and nine assists in 39 minutes. Teammate Ryan Dunn recorded a double-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Phoenix is the seventh seed in the Western Conference and will play Portland in the Play-In Tournament at 9 p.m. CT Tuesday.

OKC’s two-way guys shined in the loss, with Branden Carlson tallying a team-high 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Payton Sandfort added a career-high 23 points and five 3-pointers.

OKC, which already locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, closed the regular season at 64-18.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

OKC Thunder playoff schedule: NBA Playoffs bracket, game times, TV, streaming

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Nikola Topic #44 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks over Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jordan Ott of the Phoenix Suns watches game play during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Branden Carlson #15 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns tip off to start the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Oklahoma City Thunder mascot waves the team flag prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Nikola Topic #44 of the Oklahoma City Thunder passes the ball during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Kenrich Williams #34 of the Oklahoma City Thunder gets tripped up during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots the ball over Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Nikola Topic #44 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives between CJ Huntley #22 of the Phoenix Suns and Rasheer Fleming #20 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Aaron Wiggins #21 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Payton Sandfort #14 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Amir Coffey #2 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: General view of the entrance to the court prior to the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: General view of the arena prior to the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: A practice ball bounces off the backboard prior to the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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OKC Thunder vs Phoenix Suns in NBA regular-season finale, see photos

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OKC Thunder vs Phoenix Suns in NBA regular-season finale, see photos

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Oklahoma City Thunder mascot waves the team flag prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: General view of the arena prior to the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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Lu Dort meets 65-game requirement for postseason rewards

Lu Dort exited the game to a faint round of applause before throwing on his warmup and heading to the bench.

The moment seemed dull to most fans in the arena, but it marked a milestone.

Entering Sunday’s matchup, he needed to play at least 20 minutes in order to meet the 65-game rule for end-of-season awards. Dort checked out of the game at the 8:20 mark in the third quarter with six points in exactly 20 minutes.

He was named to the NBA’s All-Defense First Team last season and will have a shot at earning the honor yet again when the teams are announced in the postseason.

More: How did OKC Thunder earn top playoff seed again? It's more than 'eating their vegetables'

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Nikola Topic #44 of the Oklahoma City Thunder passes the ball during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Payton Sandfort scores career-high, Nikola Topic shines again in loss

Carlson turned and flexed his muscles in the direction of Sandfort.

Sandfort had just drained his fifth 3-pointer of the game, marking a career-high at the time.

He finished the game with a career-high 23 points in 28 minutes, marking his first game scoring in double figures this season.

Nikola Topic followed up his career night against Denver on Friday with another. He ended Sunday's game with 18 points, a career-high 14 assists and four rebounds following an 11-assist performance.

REQUIRED READING: Jalen Williams ready for NBA Playoffs after injuries thanks to OKC Thunder's 'good energy'

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 12: Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Paycom Center on April 12, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Nuggets defeat Spurs to finish as No. 3 seed in Western Conference

It's offical.

OKC won’t have to face the Denver Nuggets in a potential Western Conference semifinal showdown.

Despite resting all of its starters and key rotation players, the Nuggets defeated the Spurs 128-118 on Sunday night to finish as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. This also means the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Houston Rockets in the first round in the 4-5 matchup.

The Nuggets are locked into a first-round matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Thunder will play the No. 8 seed at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 19, on ABC.

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder rests stars in loss to Phoenix Suns ahead of NBA Playoffs