A meaningless loss secured a dream playoff path. Discover how a surprising upset reshaped the Western Conference bracket for the Thunder.
The Oklahoma City Thunder sustained their biggest loss of the 2025-2026 season in their last regular game of the 2025-2026 season. Yet, you could argue that the biggest winners of the day were the Thunder.
OKC sat Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber and lost to the Phoenix Suns' reserves to the tune of 135-103. It was the second straight game the Thunder dropped heading into the playoffs, but you'd never be able to tell from the vibes on the court, on the bench and in the arena. The defending champs had nothing to play for in the final two contests because they already wrapped up the #1 seed. However, that previous loss to the Denver Nuggets was about to pay off handsomely.
You see, while cheering on Nikola Topic and Jared McCain, Thunder fans were constantly checking their phones for another game's box score. A matchup that had much bigger postseason ramifications for OKC than the game they were actually playing. For a brief, fleeting two and a half hours, Thunder fans became diehard Denver fans.
Seven hours south of Oklahoma City on I-35, the Nuggets reserves were in the midst of changing the Thunder's playoff path considerably. Despite resting Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson and Tim Hardaway Jr and only playing Nikola Jokic 18 minutes, Denver defeated San Antonio by a final score of 128-118. OKC fans everywhere will forever remember the day that Nuggets backups Jonas Valančiūnas, Julian Strawther, Curtis Jones and David Roddy shifted the Western Conference playoff bracket in the Thunder's favor.
Before the Nuggets upset the Spurs, it appeared to be a lock that Oklahoma City would have to play their two biggest challengers in order to make a return trip to the NBA Finals. If Denver had lost as the odds heavily implied, the injury ravaged Los Angeles Lakers would have been the #3 seed and the Nuggets would have been the #4 seed. The Thunder's most likely playoff path would have been play-in team, Nuggets and Spurs.
After the Nuggets win, Oklahoma City now only has to face one of Denver or San Antonio. And not until the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder's most likely playoff path is now play-in team, the Rockets and either the Nuggets or Spurs.
Playing either the Lakers without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves or the Houston Rockets and their many one way players is a drastically easier path to the West Finals than going up against Jokic and what may be the second best team in the NBA. And the Thunder earned that path. The regular season should matter and no team was better throughout 82 games than Oklahoma City.
And all those wins in games 1 through 81 is why despite losing in game 82, OKC were the big winners on the NBA regular season finale date.