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 suffered a rare bad loss to the Houston Rockets on Friday. They trailed for most of the contest and by as many as 23 points. Only allowing a handful of 30-point scorers, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun each had 30 points.
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?
Kings 125, Hornets 102: This was the perfect get-right medicine. The Kings have fallen down the standings and desperately needed a win. Facing a tanking squad will help with that. Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine each scored 20-plus points.
Celtics 123, Suns 103: It continues to worsen for the Suns. Without Kevin Durant, they've lost the ultimate bail-out option. Devin Booker had 37 points but the rest of Phoenix failed to show up against the reigning NBA champions.
Rockets 125, Thunder 111: The Thunder have seldom found themselves in this position. The Rockets were the clear-cut better team and sent a message to the NBA's best team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet 22 points while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun led Houston to one of its best wins as it hopes to stay in the second seed.
Warriors 118, Nuggets 104: A three-game losing streak has caused some panic among the Nuggets. In a familiar story, Nikola Jokic did his thing and the rest of Denver struggled. The reigning MVP had 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. But that wasn't enough to overcome Stephen Curry's 36 points and Brandin Podziemski's 26 points.
Lakers 124, Pelicans 108: At this point, the Pelicans are a layup win. The Lakers blew them out and utilized the matchup as a confidence booster. LeBron James had 27 points, Luka Doncic exploded for 35 points and Austin Reaves tallied 30 points.
Clippers 114, Mavericks 91: In a matchup with plenty of play-in implications, the Clippers dominated the Mavericks without Anthony Davis. For once, injuries favored LA as Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both suited up for the win.
