Inside The Thunder

OKC Thunder's First-Round Opponent in Limbo

The Oklahoma City Thunder has secured its one-seed spot for quite some time, but its first-round matchup will be determined down the wire.

Nathan Aker

Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots the ball over Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) and guard Bradley Beal (3) during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots the ball over Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) and guard Bradley Beal (3) during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Oklahoma City Thunder has had the top spot in the West secured since March 19, showcasing the stark gap between itself and the rest of the conference in regular season success.

Going 13-2 in its previous 15 outings, with the two losses coming consecutively against two of the top three teams in the West in the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, the Thunder staked its claim as the conference favorite with a 66-14 record with just two games left to play.

At 8:30 p.m. Friday night against the Utah Jazz and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City will be locked and loaded for the postseason following these two bouts.

But who the Thunder will eventually face in the first round is still in total limbo. From the Lakers in the third seed down to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the eighth seed, there is just a two-game difference, as well as the Dallas Mavericks and Sacrament Kings fighting for the ninth seed.

On Friday night, there are many outcomes that can alter the postseason outlook for Oklahoma City.

As the seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies take on the fourth seed Denver Nuggets, a Memphis win could catapult them up to the fifth seed while Denver would fall all the way to No. 8, as the Grizzlies could also fall to No. 8 if they suffer a loss.

Next, the Kings are set to match up against the L.A. Clippers who sit in the fifth seed. With a Clippers loss, they could drop to sixth, and the Kings would shore up the No. 9 seed in the event of a win.

The Golden State Warriors, who sit in the sixth seed, are taking on the Portland Trail Blazers and could fall to as low as eighth in the West with a loss.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will match up against an Eastern Conference squad in the Brooklyn Nets, and could jump as high as fourth with a win, and would remain in eighth with a loss.

Finally, the Mavericks will take on the Toronto Raptors at home, though they will remain in the No. 10 seed regardless of the outcome. Though with two wins and two losses by the Kings, they could jump to the ninth seed.

There is still a ton at play in the bottom of the Western Conference, and it'll have a direct affect to how Oklahoma City will game plan in the opening round and for the entirety of the Western Conference bracket.

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Nathan Aker
NATHAN AKER

Nathan is a senior at the University of Oklahoma majoring in Public Relations set to graduate in May 2024. He holds experience covering multiple sports, primarily basketball, at the high school and collegiate level. 

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