The Oklahoma City Thunder secured the Western Conference top seed and best record in the NBA with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Center Chet Holmgren poured in 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists for the reigning champion Thunder, who notched a seventh straight victory to improve to 64-16 with two games left in the regular season.
kAm~<=29@>2 r:EJ D?28865 E96 (6DEVD E@A D665 7@C E96 E9:C5 J62C CF??:?8[ 2?5 H:E9 E96 36DE @G6C2== C64@C5 E96JV== 92G6 9@>6 4@FCE 25G2?E286 E9C@F89@FE E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 6IEC6>6=J :>A@CE2?E[Q D2:5 w@=>8C6?[ H9@ 25565 7:G6 2DD:DED[ EH@ DE62=D 2?5 7@FC 3=@4<65 D9@ED] QyFDE <?@H:?8 E92E :? E96 6G6?E @7 2 82>6 D6G6? :EVD 2=H2JD 8@:?8 E@ 36 2E 9@>6] (6 D2H E92E :? E96 A=2J@77D =2DE J62C EH:46[ D@ :EVD 6IEC6>6=J :>A@CE2?E]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 8C62E E@ D66 E92E E96 92C5 H@C< 92D A2:5 @77 :? @?6 H2J[ 2?5 ?@H H6VG6 8@E >@C6 E@ 5@[Q w@=>8C6? 25565]k^Am
kAm~zrVD H:? >62?D E96 DFC8:?8 $2? p?E@?:@ $AFCD 2C6 =@4<65 :?E@ E96 D64@?5 D665 :? E96 (6DE]k^Am
kAm$2? p?E@?:@ 4CF:D65 A2DE E96 !@CE=2?5 %C2:= q=2K6CD ``a\`_` 56DA:E6 E96 23D6?46 @7 DFA6CDE2C ':4E@C (6>32?J2>2 \\ H9@ D2E @FE H:E9 2 3CF:D65 C:3 \\ 2?5 $E6A9@? r2DE=6]k^Am
kAms6Vp2C@? u@I D4@C65 ad A@:?ED E@ =625 2 32=2?465 $AFCD 2EE24<] z6=5@? y@9?D@? D4@C65 a_ A@:?ED @77 E96 36?49 2?5 C@@<:6 C6D6CG6 r2CE6C qCJ2?E 4@?EC:3FE65 `f]k^Am
kAm%96 s6?G6C }F886ED E:89E6?65 E96:C 8C:A @? E9:C5 A=246 :? E96 (6DE[ 362E:?8 E96 |6>A9:D vC:KK=:6D `be\``h 369:?5 2 EC:A=6\5@F3=6 @7 `c A@:?ED[ `e C63@F?5D 2?5 `_ 2DD:DED 7C@> }:<@=2 y@<:4]k^Am
kAm%9C66\E:>6 |'! y@<:4 A@DE65 9:D bcE9 EC:A=6\5@F3=6 @7 E96 D62D@?[ E96 `hgE9 @7 9:D 42C66C[ E@ 96=A s6?G6C H:? E96:C `_E9 DEC2:89E \\ E96:C 7:CDE 5@F3=6\5:8:E H:? DEC62< @7 9:D E6?FC6]k^Am
kAmy2>2= |FCC2J D4@C65 ae A@:?ED E@ =625 6:89E }F886ED A=2J6CD E@ D4@C6 :? 5@F3=6 7:8FC6D 2D s6?G6C 65865 7FCE96C 29625 @7 E96 :?;FCJ\9:E {@D p?86=6D {2<6CD 7@C E96 E9:C5 D665]k^Am
kAmt2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 E@A D665D s6EC@:E H6=4@>65 DE2C 8F2C5 r256 rF??:?892> 324< E@ 24E:@? H:E9 2 `bf\``` G:4E@CJ @G6C E96 |:=H2F<66 qF4<D]k^Am
kAmrF??:?892>[ H9@ 925 >:DD65 `` 82>6D H:E9 2 4@==2AD65 =F?8[ D4@C65 `b A@:?ED 2?5 92?565 @FE `_ 2DD:DED :? ;FDE F?56C ae >:?FE6D @? 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmy2=6? sFC6? D4@C65 a` A@:?ED E@ =625 E96 !:DE@?D[ H9@ 925 D6G6? A=2J6CD D4@C6 :? 5@F3=6 7:8FC6D]k^Am
kAm%96 !:DE@?D 92G6 =@4<65 FA E96 E@A D665 2?5 9@>6 4@FCE 25G2?E286 E9C@F89@FE E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 A=2J@77D[ 3FE 4@249 y]q] q:4<6CDE277 D2:5 E96 C6EFC? @7 rF??:?892> 2?5 E62>>2E6 xD2:29 $E6H2CE[ D:56=:?65 D:?46 |2C49 `b H:E9 2 42=7 DEC2:?[ H2D 2 H6=4@>6 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 3F:=5 E96:C 7:E?6DD 367@C6 E96 A=2J@77D DE2CE @? pAC:= `g]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 :D ?@ H2J E@ C6A=:42E6 }qp 32D<6E32==[Q q:4<6CDE277 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ r2GD 9@=5 @77 w2H<D \k^9am
kAmx? r=6G6=2?5[ s@?@G2? |:E496== D4@C65 b` A@:?ED[ tG2? |@3=6J 25565 aa A@:?ED 2?5 `h C63@F?5D 2?5 y2>6D w2C56? 49:AA65 :? a` A@:?ED 2D E96 r2G2=:6CD 96=5 @77 E96 pE=2?E2 w2H<D `aa\``e[ 56?J:?8 E96 w2H<DV 3:5 E@ 4=:?49 2 A=2J@77 36CE9]k^Am
kAm%96 r2GD[ H9@ ?@E4965 2 7@FCE9 DEC2:89E H:?[ 2C6 2DDFC65 @7 2 E@A\7@FC D665 :? E96 t2DE 2?5 2C6 492D:?8 E96 }6H *@C< z?:4<D 7@C E9:C5]k^Am
kAm%96 w2H<D 2C6 7:7E9 :? E96 t2DE[ 3FE E96J 2C6 ;FDE 92=7 2 82>6 29625 @7 D:IE9\A=2465 %@C@?E@ 2?5 4@F=5 DE:== D=:A :?E@ E96 A=2J\:? E@FC?2>6?E E92E H:== D66 E96 D6G6?E9\ E9C@F89 `_E9\A=2465 E62>D 32EE=6 7@C E96 =2DE EH@ A=2J@77 DA@ED]k^Am
kAm}:4<6:= p=6I2?56C\(2=<6C D4@C65 ad A@:?ED 2?5 y@?2E92? zF>:?82 25565 ac @77 E96 36?49 7@C pE=2?E2[ H9@ 4FE 2? `g\A@:?E 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C 567:4:E E@ EH@ 3FE 4@F=5 86E ?@ 4=@D6C]k^Am
kAm%96 ~C=2?5@ |28:4 <6AE E96:C 9@A6D @7 6D42A:?8 E96 A=2J\:? 2=:G6 H:E9 2 7@FCE9 DEC2:89E H:?[ 362E:?8 E96 |:??6D@E2 %:>36CH@=G6D `ba\`a_]k^Am
kAm33^=82k^Am

