Thunder clinch West No.1
The Oklahoma City Thunder have locked up the top seed in the Western Conference, a development that settles the regular-season debate at the top of the West and shapes first-round matchups. (news9.com) The same update notes that 10 teams — including the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Rockets and Wolves — have already clinched playoff spots, which compresses the remaining seeding permutations into a handful of headline games. (news9.com)
Oklahoma City did not just win the Western Conference race late. By April 10, the Thunder were 64-16, three games clear of San Antonio at 61-19, which made the top seed untouchable with only two games left on the regular-season schedule. (nba.com) That changes the bracket immediately. The top seed skips the play-in mess and waits for the winner of the seven-versus-eight and nine-versus-10 funnel, which in the West currently has Phoenix at seventh, Los Angeles Clippers at eighth, Portland at ninth, and Golden State at 10th. (nba.com) The race at the top had been a real one because San Antonio stayed close deep into April. But the Thunder’s 64 wins,.800 winning percentage, and 41-9 record against Western Conference teams gave them enough separation to shut the door before the final weekend. (cbssports.com) This is also not a one-year spike. Oklahoma City has now finished first in the West for the third straight season, according to multiple reports after the clincher. (sports.yahoo.com) The bracket below them is much less settled than the spot above it. Denver had locked in third at 52-28, while the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston were both 50-29 and still jostling over fourth and fifth, which decides who gets home court in that series. (cbssports.com) Minnesota had already clinched a direct playoff spot at sixth, which means the Timberwolves avoid the play-in tournament entirely. Phoenix and the Los Angeles Clippers were in the current seven-eight game, where the winner becomes the official seventh seed and the loser gets one more chance. (nba.com) Portland and Golden State were sitting in the nine-ten game, which is the sudden-death side of the play-in. The loser there is out immediately, and the winner has to beat the loser of seven-versus-eight just to grab the eighth seed. (nba.com) The league-wide picture is tightening too. News9’s playoff update said 10 teams had already clinched playoff spots, including Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston, Minnesota, Detroit, Boston, New York, and Cleveland, which leaves fewer true unknowns than the crowded standings usually suggest in early April. (newson6.com) The calendar is now fixed even if some seeds are not. The National Basketball Association play-in tournament runs from April 14 through April 17, and the full playoffs start on April 18, so Oklahoma City’s reward for finishing first is rest, home court, and a few extra days to scout four possible opponents instead of one. (nba.com)
