Thunder Lock Up NBA’s Top Seed with Road Win Over Clippers
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Chet Holmgren poured in 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists, as the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the league’s best record with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
The win pushed Oklahoma City to 64-16, ensuring the reigning NBA champions will hold home-court advantage throughout the postseason. The Thunder have won seven straight games and 19 of their last 20, edging the surging San Antonio Spurs (61-19) for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed for a third consecutive year.
Jalen Williams scored 18 points for Oklahoma City, which shot 58.1% from the field and built a 25-point cushion in the first half. The Thunder defense held the Clippers without a fast-break field goal.
Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 20 points, extending his streak of 20-plus-point outings to 56 games, and Brook Lopez finished with 16. The Clippers (eighth in the West) are 35-18 since shortly before Christmas but still need one win in their final two contests to secure a 15th straight winning season.
Los Angeles visits Portland on Friday in a matchup likely to determine the conference’s eighth seed; the loser would fall to ninth and face the prospect of two victories in the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who sat out the fourth quarter, reached at least 20 points for the 141st consecutive game, extending his NBA record. Leonard remains on pace to appear in at least 65 games, the threshold for All-NBA eligibility, marking his second-highest total in seven seasons with the Clippers.
Clippers guard Darius Garland did not play as the team managed a toe injury. He has yet to appear in back-to-back games since arriving from Cleveland in the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers.
Source: ESPN
