Thunder sweep Suns as West semifinals open against Lakers and Timberwolves

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals after closing their first-round series, with the next round set to begin this week. The league’s official playoff update was refreshed on May 4, 2026 as the conference semifinals opened, and it listed Oklahoma City’s next game as Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Suns to move on, while San Antonio eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers 4-1. The Thunder were set to face the Lakers and the Spurs were scheduled to meet the Minnesota Timberwolves in best-of-seven series.

The same update noted a long-running postseason trend: there has been at least one first-round sweep in every playoff year since 2004, the second season after the opening round shifted to a best-of-seven format. This year’s Western Conference bracket produced only one sweep and only one other series that ended in five games, leaving both Oklahoma City and San Antonio with additional recovery time before the semifinals.

League-wide performance data also pointed to a slower, more half-court-oriented first round compared with the regular season. Teams averaged 110.5 points per 100 possessions and 96.0 possessions per 48 minutes in the first round, down from 114.8 and 100.2 in the regular season.

Oklahoma City’s first-round efficiency was highlighted as a separator. The Thunder recorded the top offensive rating of the opening round and were described as producing well above what Phoenix typically allowed during the regular season, a marker of how consistently they scored against a set playoff defense.

San Antonio, meanwhile, advanced by winning in five games against Portland, a series described as an early test of the Spurs’ ability to win with different looks and lineups. One example cited was Game 3 in Portland, which San Antonio won without Victor Wembanyama.

Oklahoma City’s Williams injury and turnover control

The Thunder clinched their sweep against Phoenix behind 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the closeout game, according to the league’s recap. The same report said Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.8 points in the series on a true shooting percentage of 67.8%.

A key variable heading into the Lakers series is the status of Jalen Williams, who sustained another hamstring strain late in Game 2, according to the update. Oklahoma City was listed as 41-10 without Williams, including 2-0 against the Lakers, but the report cautioned that his absence could be more consequential as the competition level rises in later rounds.

Ball security was also emphasized as a defining element of Oklahoma City’s first round. Phoenix forced 9.7 live-ball turnovers per 100 possessions in the regular season, but the Thunder committed only 5.7 per 100 over the four games, limiting transition chances that can swing playoff possessions.

Spurs face a tougher offensive test against Minnesota

Looking ahead to Minnesota, the same report flagged questions around Wembanyama’s workload and how far his minutes might be extended in a close game. It noted that the only first-round contest within five points in the final five minutes was Game 2, which was also the game in which he suffered a hard fall.

The Spurs’ offense was described as likely to face tighter pressure against the Timberwolves, given increased scouting and more frequent adjustments in later rounds. San Antonio’s improved three-point shooting compared with the regular season was also highlighted as an area to monitor if half-court possessions become harder to convert.

The opening games of Thunder–Lakers and Spurs–Timberwolves will offer early indicators of whether Oklahoma City can maintain elite efficiency if Williams is limited, and whether San Antonio’s first-round form carries over against a stronger opponent.