Both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns may be without multiple key players in Wednesday night's NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup.

Oklahoma City’s youth was used as a crutch by the media as the Thunder rose to the top. It wasn’t all bad — everyone knew they’d be a great team someday. But pe

Riding a 15-game winning streak and a historic 23–1 start, the Thunder look to take down Phoenix again, break a franchise record and advance to Las Vegas.

The Phoenix Suns face the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA Cup quarterfinal Wednesday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

OKC's defense led the team to 68 regular season wins and an NBA title in 2024-25 in spite of a lackluster shooting performance in the playoffs. This year, the group has picked up right where it left off, as the Thunder hold a 23-1 record behind a strong defensive performance.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s defense of the NBA championship they won last year has gotten off to a near perfect start. In fact, not only have the Thunder been racking up victories, but they also have been winning games at a historic level.

Paul happily poured into Dort, who eventually progressed to shooting 41.2% from 3-point range last season, because he recognized the then-rookie's burning desire to get better. Paul saw the same characteristic in Gilgeous-Alexander, whom Paul calls a "basketball junkie," which is the ultimate compliment coming from him.

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gave credit to Chris Paul for the team's success in recent years.