West playoff takeaways: Thunder blow out Suns in Game 1 win
Here's what has stood out from the latest playoff games of the Western Conference's first round.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander somehow gets to the rim and lays it in for the Thunder vs. the Suns. (0:32)
The 2026 NBA playoffs began Saturday, and our NBA insiders have you covered for every game in the march to the Finals .
The Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves kicked things off for the Western Conference on Saturday. Jamal Murray , who was a first-time All-Star this season, led all players with 30 points to help the Nuggets take a 1-0 lead. Nikola Jokic added 25 points despite a slow first half. Anthony Edwards kept the Wolves in the game with 22 points, but it wasn't enough.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 107-98 in the day's final game. The Lakers have had to turn to LeBron James at the end of the regular season after losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves indefinitely to injuries, but the Rockets were also without a star. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 because of a knee contusion, and his availability for Game 2 is uncertain.
On Sunday, the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder blew out the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns, 119-84, despite an off-game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 25 points, but shot just 5-for-18 in 29 minutes. Game 2 is Wednesday.
More coverage: East takeaways | Schedules and results | Offseason guides