INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Oklahoma City has once again established itself as the team to beat in the NBA playoffs, securing the conference’s top seed for three consecutive seasons.
The defending champion Thunder achieved this milestone Wednesday evening with a commanding 128-110 triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers, earning them a place among basketball’s most legendary franchises.
Star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder have become just the seventh organization in NBA history to capture their conference’s premier regular-season standing for three years running. This exclusive group includes the championship-winning Boston Celtics of the 1970s and 1980s, the legendary Showtime Lakers, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls dynasty, the early 2000s Lakers, and the recent Golden State Warriors powerhouse.
Following their dominant performance against Los Angeles — marking their 19th victory in their last 20 contests — the Thunder (64-16) officially secured the top playoff position ahead of San Antonio (61-19) while also claiming the league’s finest overall record.
Team members acknowledge the significance of this accomplishment while keeping their focus on larger objectives in the coming months.
“This definitely feels more satisfying, not just because we’ve had to overcome more challenges,” remarked MVP candidate Gilgeous-Alexander, who contributed 20 points and 11 assists before resting in the final quarter. “Achieving something repeatedly and maintaining that level is always more difficult. It presents greater challenges. The competition improves. Individual players develop. For our team to maintain the top overall record despite various obstacles demonstrates our character. We consistently emphasize at each season’s start that regardless of past success, we must earn our playoff position and seeding, and we’ve earned this first overall seed.”
Oklahoma City has dominated since their breakthrough campaign two years ago when they captured the Western Conference’s best record with 57 wins. Following last year’s 68-victory season, they’ve joined an exclusive trio of franchises in league history to achieve at least 64 wins in consecutive seasons, alongside the 1995-97 Bulls and 2015-17 Warriors.
However, the team recognizes that playoff competition presents greater challenges, and Oklahoma City aims to become the first franchise to capture championships after posting the NBA’s top record in back-to-back seasons since Jordan’s Bulls accomplished this in 1996 and 1997.
“This represents a tremendous achievement,” stated Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “Each season brings unique experiences, and this year provided vastly different challenges. When you capture a championship, that success creates expectations for the following year. Everyone — ourselves included — measures performance against that standard. Staying focused during the subsequent regular season proves incredibly challenging. This team taught me valuable lessons through their daily commitment to embracing each day’s specific challenges, which I believe explains our successful season.”
Oklahoma City opened this campaign with an impressive 24-2 start that sparked discussions about potentially being the greatest regular-season team in basketball history. Injuries limited the Thunder to an 18-12 record from mid-December through the All-Star break — however, they’ve recaptured their dominant form with a remarkable 22-2 run since that period.
The Thunder maintained at least a share of first place throughout the entire season, becoming only the seventh wire-to-wire conference leader in league history. Golden State most recently achieved this distinction in 2016.
“I believe we successfully navigated all the challenges we encountered this year, and our efforts have been rewarded,” said Chet Holmgren, who tallied 30 points against the Clippers.
While injury concerns may have prevented Oklahoma City from pursuing historic single-season records, these setbacks might have left the team better rested for upcoming playoff battles: Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace are the only players to participate in 70 games this season.
With two remaining regular-season games before several days of preparation for another postseason campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander believes the team is prepared for the challenge.
“We comprehend the winning process and the formula for success,” explained Gilgeous-Alexander, who reached at least 20 points for his 141st straight game despite failing to make a free throw for the first time all season. “We recognize that everyone contributing to this formula is essential for success. It’s not about flashy plays or superficial elements. Understanding how to complete the job each night, and the methods to achieve it, I think we’ve developed that consistency more than anything else.”
