Thunder sweep the Suns behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s gritty play in Game 4

The Oklahoma City Thunder are moving on, completing a sweep of the Phoenix Suns with a definitive 131-122 win in Game 4.

Although the Suns fought to keep their season alive, Phoenix was unable to provide a real answer for Oklahoma City’s offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 31 points behind a number of wild, tough finishes in the paint.

After a point-heavy first half, the Thunder started to pull away in the third quarter, building up a double-digit lead. But in the final minutes of the quarter, a comeback from the Suns pulled them back within striking distance, waking up the Phoenix crowd in the process.

The Thunder managed to keep the scoreline just out of the Suns’ reach throughout much of the fourth, even as Phoenix desperately tried to keep its season alive. But Oklahoma City proved too much for the Suns, just like they have all series.

Besting the defending champs was always going to be a tall task for Phoenix. The Suns had a solid 45-37 season, and capped it off with an emphatic win over the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament.

But No. 8 Phoenix’s matchup with the No. 1 Thunder looked particularly lopsided throughout the series. Though Monday’s win was only by nine points, Oklahoma City won the other three games by double digits, starting with a 35-point win in Game 1 off a strong defensive effort.

Meanwhile, the Thunder pick up their third straight first-round sweep on their way to trying for back-to-back titles. They will face the winner of the Lakers-Houston series, which currently lead.