The Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched the first seed. Not surprising considering they've held a double-digit game lead in the standings for most of the season. But let's look at the rest of the West playoff picture.
The Thunder gutted out a 119-103 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points but Chet Holmgren was the headliner. Returning to the starting center role, he flourished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Only two weeks remain in the 2024-25 regular season. Even though the Thunder aren't involved, plenty of heated races for seeding have ramped up as the margin for error gets thinner. Thunder Wire will conduct daily updates on the West's standings until the season ends:
What happened last night?
Wizards 116, Kings 111: This could be a season-altering result considering the Kings have barely held onto a play-in spot. This was a bad loss to the worst team in the NBA actively trying to lose. DeMar DeRozan had 29 points but the rest of Sacramento failed to show up.
Rockets 143, Jazz 105: The Rockets became the second team in the West to clinch a playoff spot. They also celebrated their 50th win of the season with a blowout against the NBA's worst team. The only downside is Dillon Brooks' impending suspension as he was handed his 16th technical foul on the season.
Mavericks 120, Hawks 118: Don't count out the Mavericks just yet. Anthony Davis had his first monster game since being traded there. He finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks. He also hit the game-winner in the final seconds despite battling an eye injury.
Spurs 113, Nuggets 106: Yikes. This is bad. A pivotal back-to-back couldn't have gone any worse for the Nuggets. I know all of their top players sat out, but there's no excuse to lose to a tanking Spurs squad. Russell Westbrook redeemed himself from his late-game blunder with 30 points.
Thunder 119, Pistons 113: Returning Holmgren to the center spot, he logged one of his best games of the season. He finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks. The Pistons were without Cade Cunningham and role players due to injuries and suspensions. The Thunder have won 11 in a row.
Clippers 114, Pelicans 98: The Clippers were in cruise control against a depleted Pelicans. They've become one of the league's worst teams. Kawhi Leonard had an efficient 28 points. LA enjoyed a stress-free win.
