Thunder clinch No. 1 seed in West for third consecutive season

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksTracking Awards EligibilityPlayoff Matchups As Of TodayLatest Power RankingsInside NBA Sneaker CultureNBA Season The West will go through Oklahoma City for the third straight year. Gina Ferazzi / Getty Images Share full articleWith the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 128-110 road win over the LA Clippers on Wednesday, they clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. It’s the third consecutive season in which they’ve finished atop the West. The Thunder entered Wednesday with a three-game lead in the standings over the Spurs with as many games remaining in the regular season, meaning that either a Spurs loss or a Thunder win sealed the top spot for the defending champions. Both center Victor Wembanyama (rib) and guard Stephon Castle (knee) were out for the Spurs, who beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 112-101. With All-Star Jalen Williams back in the lineup and Isaiah Hartenstein available — despite not playing in Tuesday’s second half against the Los Angeles Lakers — Oklahoma City had everyone available against the Clippers except for redshirt rookie Thomas Sorber. It’s the fourth time the Thunder have finished with the first seed in their 18-year history. This marks just the eighth instance that a franchise has finished with the top seed in its conference in at least three consecutive seasons, joining the 2015-17 Golden State Warriors, 2008-10 Lakers, 1996-98 Chicago Bulls, 1982-90 Lakers, 1984-88 Boston Celtics, 1980-82 Celtics and 1972-76 Celtics. Oklahoma City’s season began with a 24-1 start, matching the 2015-16 Warriors and prompting conversations about whether these Thunder could chase Golden State’s 73-9 record. That narrative came to a halt over the next 31 games, with the Thunder going 18-13 in that span. However, they entered Wednesday with plenty of momentum since the All-Star break, going 21-2 in their prior 23 games and rounding into full health. Much like last season, these Thunder needed role players to scale up at different times due to injury. Unlike last season, when they missed the bulk of their center rotation for weeks, these Thunder were battered across different positions — most notably with Williams handling the early-season ramifications of offseason wrist surgery and nagging hamstring injuries. Wednesday marked just his 33rd appearance of the season. In Williams’ absence, big man Chet Holmgren became a first-time All-Star, cementing himself as one of the league’s premier two-way players and an irreplaceable rim presence for these Thunder, who are poised to lead the NBA in defensive efficiency for the second consecutive season. During the March swing that saw Oklahoma City round out into form, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander solidified his case to possibly repeat, delivering game-winners and snagging Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive 20-point games. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Joel Lorenzi is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the NBA via Chicago. Prior to joining the Athletic, he covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for The Oklahoman for two seasons. He’s the recipient of the 2023 USBWA Rising Star Award. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Joel was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. Follow Joel on Twitter @JoelXLorenzi