BY: ROBERT MORALES – SOA USA CORRESPONDENT
Chet Holmgren delivered a dominant two-way performance with 30 points and 14 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured the NBA’s best regular-season record with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Backed by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 20 points and 11 assists, Oklahoma City improved to 64-16, locking up homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Jalen Williams added 18 points as the defending champions extended their dominance, winning seven straight and 19 of their last 20 games.
The Thunder’s surge held off a strong push from San Antonio Spurs, who entered the night just behind in the standings. Oklahoma City’s consistency has now secured the Western Conference’s top seed for the third consecutive season.
Holmgren set the tone early, scoring 24 points in the first half to help build a commanding 25-point lead. The Thunder shot an efficient 58.1% from the field and controlled the tempo throughout, even holding the Clippers without a single fast-break field goal.
For Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard led the way with 20 points, extending his streak of 20-point games to 56. Brook Lopez contributed 16 points, but the Clippers couldn’t recover from Oklahoma City’s early dominance. Darius Garland was sidelined as he continues managing a toe injury.
Despite the loss, the Clippers remain 35-18 since late December and are still in contention for a stronger play-in position. However, their upcoming matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers carries major implications, with playoff seeding on the line.
Meanwhile, the Thunder will look to carry their momentum into a key road game against the Denver Nuggets as they prepare for another deep postseason run.
