Storming to the Finish: Thunder Dominate as Playoff Picture Grows Uncertain

The Oklahoma City Thunder have suffered only 12 losses this season, which is a staggering 14 fewer than the next best team in the Western Conference.

Despite their youth, the Thunder have showcased such exceptional performance—holding the record for the highest point differential in NBA history—that it would be surprising if they didn’t advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Predicting their potential opponents is challenging. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, a mere six games differentiate the second-place Houston Rockets from the eighth-seeded LA Clippers. The first-round matchups remain uncertain, and any of the other seven teams could plausibly win (at least) two series and face Oklahoma City.

In the coming fortnight, the standings among the teams ranked from second to eighth could shift dramatically, especially with 12 games scheduled among them. Both the Rockets and the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors will participate in five of those contests, while the Denver Nuggets will compete in four. The outcomes of these games will significantly influence the first-round pairings (as well as which two teams will be pushed into the Play-In tournament), serving as potential previews for the playoffs.

Note: As the lower-ranked teams’ results are less significant, we continue to provide a season recap for the bottom five teams in the Eastern Conference and the bottom four in the Western Conference. This week’s updates for these teams will concentrate on their defensive performance, following last week’s focus on offense.

Plus-Minus Players of the Week

Teams of the Week

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East vs. West

Strength of Schedule through Week 23

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Rankings Movement

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Team to Watch in Week 24

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Previously…

OffRtg: Points scored per 100 possessions (League Rank)
DefRtg: Points allowed per 100 possessions (League Rank)
NetRtg: Point differential per 100 possessions (League Rank)
Pace: Possessions per 48 minutes (League Rank)

This season, the league has averaged 113.7 points scored per 100 possessions and 99.6 possessions (per team) per 48 minutes.

NBA.com’s Power Rankings, published every Monday throughout the season, represent one individual’s viewpoint. If you have any concerns regarding the rankings or wish to communicate with John Schuhmann, please reach out via Bluesky.