The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a dominant performance, defeating the Dallas Mavericks (50-32) 135-86. The Mavericks opted to rest Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for this game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 15 points in just one half of play, as the Thunder completed an impressive regular season turnaround. Aaron Wiggins scored 14 points and Chet Holmgren added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Through a commitment to daily improvement, the Thunder have gone from a 24-win team two seasons ago to clinching the top seed in the West this season, earning their first playoff appearance since 2019-20.
The Thunder will now await the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament to determine their first-round opponent as they strive for a deep postseason run.
Oklahoma City’s offense overwhelmed Dallas, as they established a commanding 82-41 lead at halftime, setting a season high for points in a half.
With victory all but assured, the Thunder coasted through the second half to secure the top seed in convincing fashion.
