Thunder clinch West’s top seed
The Oklahoma City Thunder secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and the NBA's best overall record, creating a clear upper benchmark for the bracket. (newson6.com) That certainty at the top makes the late regular‑season matchups more consequential for middle‑seed jockeying and play‑in positioning. (newson6.com)
Oklahoma City wrapped up the Western Conference’s top seed on April 8 by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 128-110, and that same win also locked in the league’s best regular-season record. Chet Holmgren had 30 points and 14 rebounds in the clincher, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 20 points and 11 assists. (nba.com, nba.com) That gives the Thunder home-court advantage through the entire National Basketball Association playoffs, including a potential Finals series. The league’s play-in tournament starts on April 14, and the playoffs begin on April 18. (nba.com, espn.com) This did not come down to the last weekend. By April 10, five Western Conference seed positions were already fixed in reporting around the race: Oklahoma City at No. 1, San Antonio at No. 2, Minnesota at No. 6, Phoenix at No. 7 in the play-in, and Golden State at No. 10 in the play-in. (cbssports.com, newson6.com) The part still moving is the middle of the bracket. Teams around the third, fourth, and fifth spots are now fighting over matchups instead of chasing Oklahoma City, because the Thunder put a ceiling on the whole conference. (nba.com, cbssports.com) Oklahoma City has been sitting near the top for months, not just for a week. The Thunder became the first team to clinch a postseason berth on March 1 after beating Dallas and improving to 47-15. (espn.com) The clinch also confirmed that last season was not a one-off. National reports described this as Oklahoma City’s third straight No. 1 seed in the West, and Yahoo noted it was the second straight season the Thunder finished with the National Basketball Association’s best overall record after winning the 2025 title. (nba.com, sports.yahoo.com) San Antonio was the last real threat to the top line, but Oklahoma City’s win removed the math. Yahoo’s playoff coverage said the Spurs were stuck on 61 wins and could no longer catch the Thunder once Oklahoma City clinched. (sports.yahoo.com, sports.yahoo.com) That changes how the final regular-season games feel. For Oklahoma City, the schedule can now be about health and rhythm; for everyone below them, the same games still decide who skips the play-in, who hosts a first-round series, and who gets dropped into a harder side of the bracket. (newson6.com, nba.com)
