The Oklahoma City Thunder secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference after a dominant 135-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. This marks the Thunder's first time clinching the top spot since the 2012-2013 season. The win also allowed them to edge out the Denver Nuggets in a tiebreaker to secure the coveted seed [640f322b].
In another significant game, the Phoenix Suns secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a 125-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Suns will now face the Timberwolves in the quarterfinals [640f322b][a1e85b6b].
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks secured the No. 2 seed with a thrilling 120-119 overtime win against the Chicago Bulls. This victory allowed the Knicks to leapfrog the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings and secure home-court advantage in the playoffs. The Knicks will now face the Bulls in the play-in round [640f322b].
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, secured a crucial victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, propelling them to the eighth seed. This win gives the Lakers a one-game lead over the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors [640f322b].