Five wins and Spurs' losses separate OKC from the #1 seed. Secure home court and boost MVP bids in a thrilling playoff race.
The magic number is 5.
That's the number of combined Oklahoma City Thunder wins and San Antonio Spurs losses needed for OKC to secure the #1 seed in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma City has a one game cushion in the loss column over San Antonio with six games remaining in the regular season. If the Thunder can finish at 5-1 (or 6-0, of course), they will take care of business themselves and not have to depend on any Spurs losses to take the top spot. If San Antonio loses one game the rest of the way, OKC only has to finish at 4-2 or better, and so on and so forth.
If the Thunder do end up as the West's #1 seed, it will mark the third straight season the team has pulled off the achievement. That accomplishment alone is worth celebrating. But there are two primary reasons why OKC should be all out gunning for the best record in the NBA.
1. Homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. I know I run the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious here, but having that Loud City edge seems even more crucial this postseason than usual. Why? Because the team OKC is fighting for the top seed happens to also have one of the best home atmospheres in the league. Does the Thunder go on to win a championship last season if they have to play a Game 7 in Denver? Perhaps. But we know that they won a Game 7 against the Nuggets in OKC. Does the Thunder win the NBA Finals last season if they have to play a Game 7 in Indiana? Maybe. But we know that they won Game 7 against the Pacers in OKC. A potential Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals is much more winnable at The Paycom Center than The Frost Bank Center.
2. MVP Narrative. My personal belief is that crowning the Most Valuable Player should not come down to which team finishes half a game ahead of the other. But it seems that some voters may use the Western Conference #1 seed winner as the tiebreaker when voting for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Victor Wembanyama. If San Antonio passes Oklahoma City in the standings, it may end up being a closer race to the finish than anticipated. If OKC finishes with the best record in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander should be a near lock to finish with back to back MVP trophies.