Thunder clinch NBA’s best regular-season record with win over Clippers
Chet Holmgren scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists, as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured the NBA’s best regular-season record with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Jalen Williams contributed 18 points for the Thunder (64-16), who will hold homecourt advantage throughout the postseason while defending their title, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Oklahoma City has now won seven straight games and 19 of their last 20, edging out the San Antonio Spurs (61-19), who have been on an 18-2 run since February.
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Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Brook Lopez added 16 for the Clippers, who currently sit eighth in the Western Conference. Los Angeles, 35-18 since just before Christmas, must win one of their final two games to extend the franchise’s streak to 15 consecutive winning seasons.
The Clippers will travel to Portland on Friday for a crucial matchup. The winner is likely to finish eighth in the West, while the loser would drop to ninth and need two victories in the play-in tournament to qualify for the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in his 141st consecutive game despite sitting out the fourth quarter, while Leonard reached 20 points for the 56th straight game. Leonard is on pace to play at least 65 games this season, his second-most in seven years with the Clippers, enough for All-NBA consideration.
Holmgren scored 24 points in the first half, giving the Thunder an early 25-point lead. Oklahoma City shot 58.1% from the field and completely neutralized the Clippers’ fast-break opportunities.
Darius Garland sat out to manage a toe injury. Garland has not played in back-to-back games since joining the Clippers in a trade for James Harden.
Up next:
- Thunder: at Denver on Friday
- Clippers: at Portland on Friday
By Nijat Babayev
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