Josh Giddey’s Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched the highest seed within the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs with a 135-86 battering of depleted Dallas Mavericks.
The Thunder ended the common season with the identical 57-25 file as defending champions Denver, however personal their head-to-head tiebreaker.
They entered the ultimate day of the common season on Sunday in a three-way tie with the Nuggets and Minnesota – the primary time in NBA historical past three groups entered the ultimate spherical sharing a convention lead.
Giddey (eight factors, eight assists, six rebounds) continued a wealthy vein of kind for OKC, whereas All-Star teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 factors in a single half of motion.
The Thunder must look ahead to the Play-In Tournament’s conclusion to study their first-round opponent.
“Nothing’s guaranteed … so, to be a post-season team, to be a one seed – we don’t take that for granted at all,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated.
“We’re incredibly excited. Now it’s just a matter of letting it rip with that opportunity.”
The Mavericks, together with Australians Dante Exum and Josh Green, had already clinched the West’s No.5 seed and have a playoffs first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Green began and had 4 factors and three assists for the Mavs whereas Exum sat out the match together with superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The Nuggets claimed the second seed within the West with a 126-111 win at Memphis.
In Minneapolis, the Timberwolves misplaced 125-106 to Phoenix and needed to accept the West’s third spot – and a rematch with the Suns within the playoffs first spherical.
Australian Joe Ingles is headed again to the playoffs after his Orlando Magic beat Milwaukee 113-88 to complete fifth within the Eastern Conference.
Ingles had three factors and two assists from the bench as Paolo Bandero led the Magic with 26 factors and 11 rebounds.
The Bucks performed once more with out Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has a decrease leg pressure that is left his availability for the playoffs in query.
Young Australian Dyson Daniels’ New Orleans had been bumped out of a coveted top-six seeding within the West, crushed 124-108 by the LeBron James-inspired Los Angeles Lakers.
James had 28 factors, 17 assists and 11 rebounds because the Lakers claimed the eighth seeding, establishing a rematch with the Pelicans within the convention play-in.
In Boston, the league-topping Celtics rested their beginning line up however nonetheless claimed a 132-122 victory over Washington.
The Celtics (64-18) are prime seeds within the East after reaching 60 or extra wins for the fifteenth season in membership historical past – final time they hit the mark was in 2008, once they captured the NBA title.
In New York, Jalen Brunson capped a memorable common season together with his eleventh 40-point sport, carrying the Knicks to the No.2 seed within the East with a 120-119 time beyond regulation victory over Chicago.
The Knicks completed 50-32 and moved previous Milwaukee, who will face the Indiana Pacers within the playoffs.
The Pacers beat Atlanta 157-115 and secured sixth within the East, whereas Miami (eighth) tuned up for a visit to the East’s play-in event by beating Toronto 118-103.
The Heat will go to Philadephia (seventh) on Wednesday with the winner getting the seventh seed and the loser to face both Atlanta or Chicago to find out the No.8 – who will tackle Boston within the playoffs.
The Sixers beat Brooklyn 107-86 and anticipate to have rested famous person Joel Embiid (knee) again in for the post-season.
Golden State ended up tenth within the West after beating Utah 123-116 and can face ninth-seed Sacramento within the play-in.
– with AAP
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
