04/08/26 11:39:00
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04/08 23:33 CDT Holmgren scores 30, Thunder clinch NBA's best regular-season
record in 128-110 victory over Clippers
Holmgren scores 30, Thunder clinch NBA's best regular-season record in 128-110
victory over Clippers
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) --- Chet Holmgren had 30 points and 14 rebounds, Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander added 20 points and 11 assists, and the Oklahoma City
Thunder clinched the NBA's best regular-season record with a 128-110 victory
over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.
Jalen Williams scored 18 points for the NBA champion Thunder (64-16), who will
have homecourt advantage throughout the postseason in their title defense after
holding off San Antonio (61-19), which is on an 18-2 run since February.
Oklahoma City has won seven straight and 19 of 20 to earn the West's No. 1 seed
for the third straight season.
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Brook Lopez added 16 for the eighth-place
Clippers, who had won seven of nine. Los Angeles is 35-18 since shortly before
Christmas, but still must win one of its final two games to extend this
once-moribund franchise's streak to 15 consecutive winning seasons.
The Clippers head to Portland on Friday for a crucial game. The winner almost
certainly will finish eighth in the Western Conference, while the losers will
slip to ninth, where they'll need two wins in the play-in tournament to make
the playoffs.
While Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in his record 141st
consecutive game despite sitting out the fourth quarter, Leonard scored at
least 20 in his 56th straight game. Leonard also remained on track to play in
at least 65 games this season --- his second-most in seven years with the
Clippers, and enough to qualify for All-NBA consideration.
Holmgren scored 24 points in the first half and propelled the Thunder to an
early 25-point lead. Oklahoma City hit 58.1% of its shots and thoroughly
stifled the Clippers' offense, allowing no fast-break field goals.
Darius Garland sat out for the Clippers to manage his toe injury. He hasn't
played in back-to-back games since Los Angeles acquired him from Cleveland in a
trade for James Harden.
Up next
Thunder: At Denver on Friday.
Clippers: At Portland on Friday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
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