LOS ANGELES – The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the Western Conference top seeding ahead of defending champions the Denver Nuggets, but they are not “celebrating” as the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season wrapped up on April 14.
Rookie centre Chet Holmgren told ESPN: “I wouldn’t say celebratory so much as just kind of recognising the fruition of all the hard work that we’ve been putting in.
“We’re not in the position we’re in by accident. There was a lot of dedication and hard work that went into it.
“But we’re not celebrating, because what we’re trying to do, we’re not there yet. So, we still have eyes on the prize, locked in.”
The youthful Thunder rolled past the play-offs-bound Dallas Mavericks – who rested Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving among others – 135-86 to emerge from the trio of teams who went into the final day of action tied atop the West.
It marked the first time that three teams entered their final games with identical records, all with a shot at being the No. 1 seeds in a conference.
Thanks to the Thunder’s edge in their head-to-head record, the Nuggets’ 126-111 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis was not enough and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who also had a chance, fell 125-106 to the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns snatched the sixth and final automatic play-off berth and will face the No. 3 Timberwolves again in the first round.
In New Orleans, superstar LeBron James scored 28 points with 11 rebounds and 17 assists in his 112th career triple-double to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-108 victory over the Pelicans and eighth place in the West.
The defeat dropped the Pelicans out of sixth place and they will host the Lakers in the play-in tournament on April 16, with the winners advancing to the play-offs as the seventh seeds.
James added five steals and Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds against his former team. Davis gave Lakers fans a scare when he hobbled out in pain late in the fourth quarter.
Davis said his back “locked up” after he took a shove but vowed there was “no doubt” he would play on April 16.
James said the quick turnaround to another game against the Pelicans was reminiscent of a play-off series.
“That’s exactly what it feels like,” he said. “So you don’t get too high on one win because you’ve got to come back and play again.”
The Golden State Warriors, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green rested, beat the Utah Jazz 123-116 to lock up the last play-in berth.
They will play on April 16 against the Sacramento Kings, who cruised past the Portland Trail Blazers 121-82, with the winners of that play-in game earning a shot at the losers of the Lakers-Pelicans contest for the final Western Conference play-off berth.
In the East, the New York Knicks edged out the Chicago Bulls 120-119 in overtime to grab the second seeding.
The Knicks leapfrogged into second place over Milwaukee, who fell 113-88 to the Orlando Magic as Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a third straight game with a leg injury.
The NBA-best Boston Celtics are top seeds in the East, with the Cleveland Cavaliers fourth.
The Magic avoided the play-in tournament, clinching fifth place ahead of the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers grabbed the final automatic play-off spot with an emphatic 157-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks and booked a first-round clash with the Bucks.
Beaten 2023 finalists Miami Heat finished eighth after a 118-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors. On April 17, the Heat will take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in.
The winners will advance to the play-offs and the losers will take on the winners of the play-in clash between Chicago and 10th-seeded Atlanta. AFP
