Thunder bag top West spot; LeBron finishes strong
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The unexpected Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the Western Conference top seed ahead of the defending champion Denver Nuggets as the National Basketball Association regular season wrapped up on Sunday.
The youthful Thunder rolled past the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks, who rested Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving among others, 135-86, to emerge from the trio of teams who went into the final day of action tied atop the West.
It marked the first time that three teams entered their final games with identical records, all with a shot at the No. 1 seed in a conference.
Thanks to the Thunder’s edge in their head-to-head record, the Nuggets’ 126-111 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis wasn’t enough and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who also had a chance, fell, 125-106, to the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns snatched the sixth and final automatic playoff berth and will face the No. 3 Timberwolves again in the first round.
In New Orleans, LeBron James scored 28 points with 11 rebounds and 17 assists in his 112th career tripledouble to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-108 victory over the Pelicans and eighth place in the West.
The defeat dropped the Pelicans out of sixth place and they will host the Lakers in the play-in tournament on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the seventh seed.
James added five steals and Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds against his former team. Davis gave Lakers fans a scare when he hobbled out in pain late in the fourth quarter.
Davis said his back “locked up” after he took a shove but vowed there was “no doubt” he would play on Tuesday.
James said the quick turnaround to another game against the Pelicans was reminiscent of a playoff series.
“That’s exactly what it feels like,” he said.
“So, you don’t get too high on one win because you’ve got to come back and play again.”
The Golden State Warriors, with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green resting, beat the Utah Jazz, 123-116, to lock up the last play-in berth.
They will play Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings, who cruised past Detroit 123-95, with the winner of that play-in game earning a shot at the loser of the LakersPelicans contest for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
There was a bit less to settle in the East but the New York Knicks, fueled by 40 points from Jalen Brunson, edged the Chicago Bulls, 120-119, in overtime to grab the second seed.