The Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder timeline stretches back beyond the Thunder’s 2008 arrival in Oklahoma City because the franchise was previously the Seattle SuperSonics. Their biggest historical meetings include the 1993 Western Conference Finals, the 1997 first round, years of regular-season battles, and the 2026 NBA playoff series.
Key Takeaways
- The Suns’ historical matchup with the Thunder franchise began when it was still the Seattle SuperSonics.
- Phoenix defeated Seattle 4-3 in the 1993 Western Conference Finals.
- Seattle eliminated Phoenix 3-2 in the 1997 first round.
- The modern Thunder-Suns rivalry has featured several major regular-season swings.
- Oklahoma City swept Phoenix 4-0 in the 2026 Western Conference first round.
Suns vs Thunder Timeline at a Glance
| Year/Period | What Happened |
| 1993 | Phoenix defeated Seattle 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals |
| 1997 | Seattle defeated Phoenix 3-2 in the first round |
| 2008 | Seattle franchise moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder |
| 2020 | Phoenix beat Oklahoma City in the NBA bubble |
| 2021 | Phoenix defeated OKC by 37 points, its largest win in the matchup |
| 2022 | Suns won three of four regular-season meetings |
| 2023 | Suns again won three of four |
| 2024 | Thunder swept the three-game season series |
| 2025 | Thunder again swept Phoenix 3-0 |
| 2026 | Thunder won the regular season 3-2 and swept Phoenix 4-0 in the playoffs |
The timeline is important because the matchup has two identities: the historical Suns-SuperSonics rivalry and the modern Suns-Thunder series.
Before Oklahoma City: The Seattle SuperSonics Era
To understand the Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder timeline, you have to go back to the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Thunder franchise traces its history to Seattle, so historical NBA databases count the SuperSonics’ meetings with Phoenix as part of the same franchise history. That is why the timeline contains games against both “Seattle” and “Oklahoma City.”
1993 Western Conference Finals
The first major chapter came in the 1993 Western Conference Finals.
Phoenix, led by Charles Barkley, faced a Seattle team featuring stars such as Shawn Kemp and Sam Perkins. The series went the full seven games, with Phoenix winning 4-3. Game 7 took place in Phoenix on June 5, 1993, where the Suns won 123-110.
Barkley delivered one of the defining performances of the series in Game 7, scoring 44 points and grabbing 24 rebounds. Phoenix advanced to the NBA Finals, where it eventually lost to the Chicago Bulls.
This remains one of the most significant meetings in the entire franchise-to-franchise history.
1997 First-Round Playoffs
Four years later, Phoenix and Seattle met again in the playoffs.
This time, Seattle had the advantage. The SuperSonics entered the 1997 first round as the No. 2 seed, while Phoenix was No. 7. Seattle won the best-of-five series 3-2.
The series included dramatic swings. Phoenix won Games 1 and 3, but Seattle took Games 2, 4 and 5 to advance. Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp were major figures for the SuperSonics during the series.
These two playoff series established a strong historical connection between Phoenix and the franchise that would eventually become Oklahoma City.
The Thunder Era Begins
The franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008 and began playing as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
From that point forward, Phoenix’s meetings with the franchise were officially Suns vs. Thunder rather than Suns vs. SuperSonics. However, the earlier Seattle results remain part of the franchise’s historical record.
The regular-season matchup has been competitive across its full history. Through the 2025-26 regular season, Phoenix held a 138-126 advantage in 264 regular-season meetings. The playoff record was different: Oklahoma City’s franchise held a 16-13 edge in playoff games after the 2026 series.
2008–2019: Building a Modern Rivalry
The late 2000s and 2010s marked the beginning of the modern Thunder-Suns chapter.
The two teams continued meeting regularly during the regular season, with Oklahoma City becoming one of the Western Conference’s prominent teams during the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and later Paul George eras.
Phoenix, meanwhile, went through several roster and competitive cycles before eventually building around Devin Booker.
Although these seasons did not produce a playoff series between the two teams, their regular-season meetings helped establish the modern version of the matchup.
2020–2023: Competitive Regular-Season Battles
The 2020 Bubble Meeting
The 2020 NBA restart created an unusual chapter in the rivalry.
On August 10, Phoenix defeated Oklahoma City 128-101 inside the Orlando bubble. The victory was particularly meaningful because it snapped an eight-game Oklahoma City winning streak against Phoenix.
Phoenix continued its strong run through the bubble, while the Thunder remained part of the Western Conference playoff picture.
Phoenix’s 2021 Statement Win
One of the biggest individual game margins in the matchup came on April 2, 2021.
Phoenix defeated Oklahoma City 140-103, winning by 37 points. According to the Suns, it remains Phoenix’s largest margin of victory against the Thunder franchise.
The teams split their 2020-21 regular-season meetings 2-1 in Phoenix’s favor.
Suns Take the 2022 and 2023 Season Series
Phoenix continued to have the upper hand during the next two seasons.
In 2021-22, the Suns went 3-1 against Oklahoma City. Phoenix won three consecutive meetings before Oklahoma City took the April 3, 2022 game.
The Suns repeated that 3-1 season-series advantage in 2022-23. Phoenix won meetings on February 24, March 8 and April 2, while Oklahoma City won the March 19 matchup.
At this point, the matchup appeared to be leaning toward Phoenix.
2024–2025: Oklahoma City Takes Control
The balance changed sharply over the next two seasons.
Oklahoma City swept Phoenix 3-0 during the 2023-24 regular season. The Thunder won all three games by double-digit margins, including a 128-103 victory on March 29, 2024.
The pattern continued in 2024-25.
Oklahoma City again went 3-0 against Phoenix, winning 99-83 on November 15, 2024, 140-109 on February 5, 2025, and 125-112 on April 9, 2025.
The back-to-back sweeps were a major turning point in the modern Suns-Thunder timeline.
2025-26: The Most Important Chapter
The 2025-26 season became the biggest modern chapter because the teams finally met in the playoffs under their current identities.
2025-26 Regular Season
Phoenix and Oklahoma City played five regular-season games.
The Thunder won the first meeting 123-119 on November 28, 2025, and followed it with a 138-89 victory on December 10. Phoenix responded with a 108-105 win on January 4, 2026. Oklahoma City won again 136-109 on February 11, but Phoenix closed the regular season series with a 135-103 victory on April 12.
That left Oklahoma City with a 3-2 regular-season advantage.
The results also showed how unpredictable the matchup could be. Each team recorded a victory by more than 30 points during the season.
2026 Western Conference First Round
The regular-season rivalry finally turned into a current-era playoff series in April 2026.
Oklahoma City entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, while Phoenix was No. 8. The Thunder immediately took control.
Game 1 — April 19: Oklahoma City won 119-84.
Game 2 — April 22: Oklahoma City won 120-107.
Game 3 — April 25: Oklahoma City won 121-109.
Game 4 — April 27: Oklahoma City won 131-122.
The result was a 4-0 Thunder sweep.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the central offensive figure for Oklahoma City, averaging 33.8 points per game in the series. Phoenix’s Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 26.0 points per game. The Thunder also held clear advantages in the series averages for scoring, rebounding and assists.
The sweep was especially notable because it was the first playoff series between the franchises since the 1997 meeting with Seattle and the first postseason matchup between Phoenix and Oklahoma City under their current team identities.
Suns vs Thunder All-Time Record
The all-time numbers depend on whether you are looking at regular-season games, playoff games, or the combined franchise history.
Through the 2025-26 season, the teams had played 264 regular-season games, with Phoenix winning 138 and the Thunder franchise winning 126. In the playoffs, Oklahoma City’s franchise led 16-13 in individual games after the 2026 sweep.
The complete franchise playoff history includes three series:
| Playoff Series | Winner | Result |
| 1993 Western Conference Finals | Phoenix | Suns 4-3 |
| 1997 First Round | Seattle | SuperSonics 3-2 |
| 2026 First Round | Oklahoma City | Thunder 4-0 |
So, by series count, the franchise history is split 2-1 in favor of Seattle/Oklahoma City, while Phoenix owns the most famous seven-game victory from 1993.
Why the Suns-Thunder Timeline Matters
This matchup is unusual because it connects different NBA eras.
The 1993 series featured Charles Barkley and the Seattle SuperSonics. The 1997 series featured the likes of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. The modern era brought players such as Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into the story.
That makes the timeline more than a list of scores. It shows how two Western Conference franchises have repeatedly crossed paths through different generations of NBA basketball.
The biggest historical contrast is simple: Phoenix won the classic 1993 showdown, Seattle won the 1997 rematch, and Oklahoma City dominated the latest playoff meeting in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Suns and Thunder first meet?
The franchise histories go back to the Seattle SuperSonics era. Phoenix and Seattle met in the 1993 Western Conference Finals, where the Suns won the series 4-3. The franchise later moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.
Did the Suns play Oklahoma City in the playoffs before 2026?
No. The earlier playoff meetings were against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1993 and 1997. The 2026 first-round series was the first playoff matchup between Phoenix and the Oklahoma City Thunder under their current identities.
Who leads the all-time regular-season series?
Phoenix leads the all-time regular-season series 138-126 through the 2025-26 season. However, Oklahoma City’s franchise leads the playoff-game record 16-13.
Who won the 2026 Suns vs Thunder playoff series?
The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2026 Western Conference first-round series 4-0. Oklahoma City won all four games, with the final victory coming 131-122 in Phoenix on April 27, 2026.
Conclusion
The Phoenix Suns vs Oklahoma City Thunder timeline begins before the Thunder even existed under that name. Its roots stretch back to the Seattle SuperSonics, including Phoenix’s memorable 1993 Western Conference Finals victory and Seattle’s 1997 first-round win.
The modern chapter became increasingly competitive before Oklahoma City took control in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, that regular-season dominance carried into the playoffs, as the No. 1 Thunder swept the No. 8 Suns 4-0.
With 264 regular-season meetings and three playoff series across the franchise’s history, Suns vs. Thunder remains a matchup shaped by multiple generations of NBA basketball.
