Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder lock up West’s top seed after dismantling Clippers

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a huge advantage when they start the real defense of their title in the playoffs after securing the top seed in the Western Conference on Wednesday.

The Thunder dismantled the Los Angeles Clippers, 128-110, to improve to 64-16 and fend off the San Antonio Spurs, who were looking to steal the No. 1 spot. The Thunder also secured the league’s best record, giving them homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Chet Holmgren led Oklahoma City with 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 11 assists.

BEST IN THE WEST

The Thunder have officially secured the best record in the West and in the NBA after taking down the Clippers pic.twitter.com/Y0RQUmCxU7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 9, 2026

The defending champions earned the top seed in the Western Conference for the third straight season. They are on a seven-game winning streak and have won 19 of their last 20 assignments.

It seems the Thunder can easily turn on the switch when needed, showing that they can always go to another level. Their defense has been astounding all season, even when Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso were sidelined.

Gilgeous-Alexander, for his part, has delivered another MVP-type run, proving to everyone that he has remained hungry despite already reaching the zenith last season. Gilgeous-Alexander even got a nod from a one-time champion coach.

OKC shot 58% from the field against the Clippers and tallied 30 assists. They scored 23 points off Los Angeles’ 13 turnovers.

Williams added 18 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals for the Thunder, while Isaiah Joe chipped in 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting off the bench.

They will finish their schedule against the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.

The Thunder are looking to become the first back-to-back titlists since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018.

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