The Oklahoma City Thunder locked up the NBA’s best record Wednesday night, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 128-110 in Inglewood, California, behind a dominant performance from Chet Holmgren.
Holmgren delivered 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 20 points and dished out 11 assists in the victory. The win secured Oklahoma City’s third straight Western Conference top playoff seed and extended their winning streak to seven games.
Bench contributor Isaiah Joe chipped in 21 points and Jalen Williams provided 18 more for the Thunder, who captured their franchise’s first NBA championship last season. With the league’s best record now locked up, Oklahoma City will enjoy home-court advantage throughout the entire NBA Finals.
For Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard managed 20 points while Kobe Sanders added 17 off the bench. The Clippers have already secured their spot in the play-in tournament despite starting the season with a dismal 6-21 record. Los Angeles was without Darius Garland due to a toe injury.
Brook Lopez and Jordan Miller each contributed 16 points for the Clippers, who remain in eighth place in the Western Conference standings. The final positioning for the eighth and ninth seeds will be determined Friday when Los Angeles travels to face the Portland Trail Blazers.
Suns 112, Mavericks 107
Devin Booker exploded for 37 points and nine assists while Dillon Brooks added 28 points, including a crucial late layup, as Phoenix defeated Dallas at home to secure the Western Conference’s seventh playoff seed.
Reserve players Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie scored 14 and 13 points respectively for Phoenix (44-36), who nearly squandered an 18-point advantage and trailed during the fourth quarter of their final regular-season home contest. The Suns will host either the Clippers or Trail Blazers in Tuesday’s play-in tournament opener.
John Poulakidas achieved career-highs with 23 points and five three-pointers for Dallas (25-55), while Marvin Bagley III added 20 points. The Mavericks have dropped 10 of their last 12 games. Cooper Flagg recorded 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, bolstering his Rookie of the Year candidacy in what has become a two-player race with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of Charlotte.
Cavaliers 122, Hawks 116
Donovan Mitchell poured in 31 points and Evan Mobley registered 22 points with a career-high-tying 19 rebounds, leading Cleveland past visiting Atlanta in what could preview an Eastern Conference playoff matchup.
James Harden contributed 21 points and Jarrett Allen added 16 for Cleveland, which cannot finish lower than fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers have now won four consecutive games and six of their past seven, moving within half a game of the third-place New York Knicks.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker tallied 25 points and Jonathan Kuminga provided 24 off the bench for the fifth-place Hawks, who missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth. All-Star Jalen Johnson recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists before fouling out. Atlanta maintains a half-game lead over Toronto, though both teams risk falling into the play-in tournament.
Pistons 137, Bucks 111
Jalen Duren posted 21 points and nine rebounds to pace Detroit’s victory over visiting Milwaukee.
The Pistons, who already own the Eastern Conference’s top seed, captured their fourth win in five recent outings. Duncan Robinson contributed 20 points while star player Cade Cunningham returned from an 11-game absence due to a collapsed lung, adding 13 points and 10 assists.
Milwaukee suffered its second straight defeat and eighth loss in their last 10 contests. Michigan native Ryan Rollins paced the Bucks with 23 points, while Jericho Sims achieved a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Magic 132, Timberwolves 120
Paolo Banchero collected 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists as Orlando defeated visiting Minnesota for their fourth straight victory.
Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Franz Wagner added 17 for Orlando, which climbed to seventh in the competitive Eastern Conference standings, half a game ahead of Philadelphia with two games remaining. Goga Bitadze contributed 14 points and a season-best 15 rebounds, while Tristan da Silva, Jalen Suggs and Jevon Carter each reached double figures.
Terrence Shannon Jr. established career-highs with five three-pointers and 33 points for shorthanded Minnesota, which had already clinched the Western Conference’s sixth position Tuesday. Jaden McDaniels returned from a six-game knee injury absence to score 18 points in 19 minutes, while Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo added 15 and 12 points respectively.
Nuggets 136, Grizzlies 119
Jamal Murray scored 26 points while Nikola Jokic recorded his 34th triple-double of the season with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, powering host Denver past Memphis for their tenth consecutive victory.
Cameron Johnson provided 18 points as the Nuggets established a 1.5-game lead over both the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets for the Western Conference’s third seed.
Cedric Coward finished with 27 points for Memphis, which has now lost six straight games and 19 of their past 21 contests.
Spurs 112, Trail Blazers 101
De’Aaron Fox scored 25 points and San Antonio’s bench players combined for 48 points as the host Spurs defeated Portland.
San Antonio played without Victor Wembanyama (rib injury) and Stephon Castle (knee injury) but still managed their 13th victory in 14 games. The Spurs became locked into the Western Conference’s second seed when Oklahoma City won their contest.
Deni Avdija led Portland with 29 points while Scoot Henderson added 20. The Trail Blazers remain ninth in the West, one game behind the Clippers ahead of Friday’s crucial meeting in Portland.
