The Oklahoma City Thunder secured the NBA’s best regular-season record with a commanding 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.
Chet Holmgren led the charge with 30 points and 14 rebounds as Oklahoma City improved to 64-16 and guaranteed homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.
The reigning champions have now won seven consecutive games and 19 of their last 20, a surge that allowed them to hold off the surging San Antonio Spurs, who sit at 61-19.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another efficient performance with 20 points and 11 assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter once the result was no longer in doubt.
The All-Star guard also extended a remarkable scoring streak by recording at least 20 points for the 141st consecutive game.
Jalen Williams contributed 18 points and six rebounds while helping maintain offensive balance for Oklahoma City’s starting unit.
Holmgren set the tone early by scoring 24 points in the first half, allowing the Thunder to build a lead that reached 25 points before halftime.
Oklahoma City controlled the game on both ends, shooting 58.1 percent from the field while limiting Los Angeles’ transition offense and preventing a single fast-break field goal.
The Thunder also moved the ball efficiently, finishing with 30 assists while committing only 13 turnovers.
Isaiah Joe provided a scoring boost from the bench with 21 points, including four three-pointers, as Oklahoma City’s depth maintained the advantage throughout the second half.
Los Angeles attempted to respond behind Kawhi Leonard, who finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Leonard extended his streak of scoring at least 20 points to 56 consecutive games and remains on pace to appear in at least 65 contests this season, a threshold required for All-NBA eligibility.
Brook Lopez added 16 points for the Clippers, while Jordan Miller contributed 16 off the bench and Kobe Sanders finished with 17.
The Clippers, who had won seven of their previous nine games, fell to 41-39 and remain eighth in the Western Conference standings.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles has gone 35-18 since shortly before Christmas and is attempting to secure a 15th consecutive winning season.
The absence of Darius Garland was noticeable for the Clippers, as the guard sat out to manage a toe injury and has not played in back-to-back games since being acquired from Cleveland in the trade involving James Harden.
Oklahoma City’s defensive pressure and rebounding edge helped control the pace late, allowing the Thunder to rest key players during the fourth quarter.
The Thunder will continue their road trip Friday with a matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
The Clippers also play Friday when they travel to Portland for a game that could determine the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff race.
