The OKC Thunder earned a 123-119 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Oklahoma City's NBA-best defense did not have a perfect outing, but it still earned the respect of Suns star Devin Booker.
Booker addressed the Thunder's defensive approach on Friday following a competitive matchup.
"The secret is out. They do speed you up," Booker told reporters after the game. "They play aggressive. They'll grab, they'll hold, but it's never like when you're in a shooting position. It's always on the handle or on your drives when they get away with it... they have multiple defenders out there. They have their switching partners. Guys that will get after it every time. They're a tough matchup."
Devin Booker's intriguing admission about Thunder defense
The Thunder's aggressive style of play often pressures offenses, leading to turnovers and mistakes. Oklahoma City is able to "speed you up," as D-Book mentioned.
Phoenix found success on Friday evening, though, shooting 45.7 percent from the field. The Suns also shot 34.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Surprisingly, Booker did not play especially well despite the team's strong offensive effort. The Thunder were able to hold Booker to 5-13 shooting on his field goal attempts, and he made just two of his seven shots from three-point land. He still still managed to score 21 points, but it was Collin Gillespie who led Phoenix with 24 points.
Still, OKC wreaked havoc, forcing 18 turnovers. The Thunder had nine steals and three blocks in the win.
While the offense ultimately told the story of the game, OKC's defense still played well enough to help matters.
Thunder defense is unquestionably elite this season
The Thunder feature the best defense in the NBA, as their 103.4 defensive rating leads the league by a significant margin. The Miami Heat's 110.2 mark is second.
Oklahoma City is also second in limiting opposing points off turnovers and opposing fastbreak points. Meanwhile, the Thunder lead the NBA in limiting opposing points in the paint and opposing second-chance points.
It does not only require advanced statistics to explain their dominance, as the team is taking care of business in a traditional manner as well. Their 10.6 steals per outing is the best mark in the NBA, while their 5.4 blocks per contest ranks within the top 10 of all teams.
It is a defensive unit that is about as close to perfect as it gets. Sure, constructing a truly flawless defense is impossible unless you are playing NBA 2K (and even then, it is challenging), but what the Thunder are accomplishing in the 2025-26 season is remarkable.
The next question they must answer is whether or not they can maintain their dominance throughout the entire campaign. It's difficult to complain about the results through 20 games, though.