Looking back at 5 matchups between Thunder, Suns before 2026 NBA playoffs

After a week's wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally learned their Round 1 opponent of the 2026 NBA playoffs. They will face the eighth-seed Phoenix Suns . Like the last two years, they had to wait out the play-in tournament to figure out their matchup.

The Thunder finishes with an NBA-best 64-18 regular-season record and plus-11. 1 point differential. Expect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win back-to-back MVP awards.

Carrying over their dominance from last year, they enter as the title favorite. Meanwhile, the Suns continue to enjoy being one of the best feel-good stories. They went an impressive 45-37 in the regular season.

They clinched a playoff spot in a do-or-die scenario with a 111-96 win over the Golden State Warriors. In their season series, the Thunder had a 3-2 record against the Suns in five matchups. Let's look back at all five games as they prepare to battle it out in the 2026 NBA playoffs: Nov.