The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially secured the top seed in the NBA's Western Conference, claiming home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a commanding 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
This win solidifies the Thunder's league-best regular-season record at 64-16, ensuring they finish ahead of the San Antonio Spurs. It marks the third consecutive season Oklahoma City has earned the West's number one seed.
Chet Holmgren powered the Thunder's performance with a dominant double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds. Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists, extending his remarkable streak of scoring 20 or more points to 140 consecutive games.
The comfortable victory ensured the Thunder held off the San Antonio Spurs to secure the NBA's best regular-season record.
The loss complicates the playoff picture for the Clippers, who had been surging with eight wins in their previous nine games. They now face a critical final regular-season game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. The outcome will determine seeding for the play-in tournament, with the eighth-place team needing just one win to advance, while the ninth-place finisher faces a much tougher path.
In other NBA action, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Trail Blazers 112-101, improving to an impressive 18-2 over their last 20 games, led by De'Aaron Fox's 25 points. The Denver Nuggets won their tenth straight game, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 136-119 behind Jamal Murray's 26 points to tighten their hold on third place in the West.
In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks failed to secure a playoff berth after a 122-116 loss to Cleveland but can still clinch a top-six spot with a win in one of their final two games. The conference-leading Detroit Pistons routed the Milwaukee Bucks 137-111, while the Orlando Magic beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-120.
Out West, Devin Booker's 37-point effort guided the Phoenix Suns to a 112-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks.