NBA: Thunder top Clippers, clinch No. 1 seed in playoffs

Chet Holmgren scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points with 11 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured the best record in the NBA with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday in Inglewood, California.

Isaiah Joe contributed 21 points off the bench, and Jalen Williams added 18, helping the Thunder (64-16) claim the Western Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed for the third consecutive season.

Oklahoma City, which captured the franchise’s first NBA title last season, will enjoy home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, including the NBA Finals.

The Thunder pulled away in the second quarter, building a lead of up to 25 points before closing out their seventh straight win. Since February 27, Oklahoma City has gone 19-1, edging the San Antonio Spurs, who fell behind despite an 18-2 run since March 3.

For the Clippers (41-39), Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, and Kobe Sanders added 17 off the bench. Los Angeles, already guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament after a 6-21 start, played without Darius Garland due to a toe injury. Brook Lopez and Jordan Miller each contributed 16 points as the Clippers held onto eighth place in the Western Conference. The eighth and ninth seeds will be finalized Friday when the Clippers face the Portland Trail Blazers.

Oklahoma City dominated early, leading 69-49 at halftime while shooting 58.1% from the field and committing only three turnovers, compared with the Clippers’ 38.3%. The Thunder finished the game shooting 57.8%.

Los Angeles tried to rally with an 11-3 run in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 87-75. However, Derrick Jones Jr.’s missed 3-pointer prevented the Clippers from narrowing the gap to single digits, and Oklahoma City carried a 94-80 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Thunder extended their lead to 101-83 on an Isaiah Hartenstein dunk with 10:11 remaining, part of an 8-0 run that eventually grew to 13-2, giving them a commanding 109-85 advantage with 8:45 left in the game.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who played 30 minutes, and Luguentz Dort (20 minutes) did not play in the fourth quarter. Notably, Gilgeous-Alexander went 0 of 1 from the free-throw line, marking the first time this season he did not make a foul shot in a game.

—Field Level Media/Reuters