The Thunder will have homecourt advantage for as far as the team advances in the playoffs.
The Oklahoma City Thunder played in Los Angeles for the second time in as many days with an opportunity to clinch the best record in the NBA and homecourt advantage through the entirety of the playoffs, as long as the team advances.
And that’s exactly what the Thunder did, beating the LA Clippers by a final score of 128-110 on the second night of a back-to-back, with Chet Holmgren really helping get the team out to a hot start.
The Thunder controlled this game from the early parts of the contest. Holmgren finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds on the night on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again eclipsed 20 points and also had 11 assists. Jalen Williams, as he continues to get back into a groove, had 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and Isaiah Joe continues to look scorching hot. He had 21 points and knocked down four 3-pointers.
And the Thunder just dominated a Clippers team that has been hot, but was not able to match up with Oklahoma City on this night. So now, sitting at 63-16, the Thunder has clinched the best record in the league, which was the goal.
And for the last two games of the season, they are essentially non-consequential. It will be interesting to see what exactly the team does in these final two games, but at this point, everything is looking ahead to the playoffs.
The Thunder’s next game will be Friday night against the Denver Nuggets on the road, and again, a game that is not going to matter in terms of standings or the outcome of the season.