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The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their place in the second round of the Western Conference NBA playoffs with their fourth straight victory, defeating the Phoenix Suns 131-122.
Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points.
He said, "We came into the game ready. We love playing basketball; we're a group of great guys who enjoy themselves together."
He added, "We play for each other. Nobody's selfish. We all want the other guy to succeed, and when you put those three things together, you get success."
Oklahoma City will face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets series in the second round, a series currently led by the Lakers 3-1.
"Ultimately, we need to improve in the intervening days before facing our next opponent," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder became the first team to advance to the second round on the same night that the Orlando Magic moved closer to eliminating Eastern Conference leader Detroit, winning 94-88 to take a 3-1 series lead.
The Denver Nuggets avoided an early exit after Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists, and 12 rebounds, leading the home team to a 125-113 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves and narrowing the series deficit to 3-2.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's MVP this season, who scored a playoff-high 42 points in Game 3, added eight assists to lead the visiting Thunder, who boast the best offense and best defense in the finals.
Cheat Holmgren added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, while Ajay Mitchell scored 22 points and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds.
In Orlando, Desmond Payne scored 22 points, including 5-for-10 from three-point range, to lead the Magic, who can close out the series against the Pistons with a win Wednesday in Detroit.
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