Oklahoma City Thunder (4-0) beat Phoenix Suns (1-2) 125-114 at home on Monday, October 26, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Thunder had the better start, winning the first 33-27 to lead by 6 after one. The Thunder kept the pressure on with a 34-26 second quarter, carrying a 14-point lead into halftime.
The teams matched each other with 32 points apiece in the third quarter, so the Thunder remained ahead by 14 entering the fourth. The Suns took the fourth 29-26; the Thunder held on for a 125-114 regulation win.
What decided it
The Thunder made 29.1 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 19.6 for the Suns. The Thunder got more from their shots, finishing at 58.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 52.2% for the Suns. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Suns did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.9 against 15.6. The Thunder made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 102 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 122.7 points per 100 possessions to 111.9 for the Suns.
The Suns' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 43-30.
Who made the difference
Ajay Mitchell was the game's biggest individual force for OKC: 30 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast on 10-16 shooting. His Game Score of 24.6 led everyone. His team was +18 with him on the floor.
Jalen Green led the Suns with 20 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast on 8-13 shooting, good for a 17.4 Game Score.
Isaiah Hartenstein (15 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast) and Aday Mara (11 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 85% chance.
Across the last 12 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 10-2.
The Thunder are now 4-0, and the Suns are 1-2. The Thunder last five before this game: L-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.