How Difficult is OKC Thunder's Remaining Path to Top Seed in the West?

The Thunder are currently sitting at the top seed in the Western Conference, but how hard will it be to keep that spot?

Mar 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault yells to his team during a play against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The light at the end of the tunnel continues to grow brighter for the Thunder. 

Oklahoma City claimed another win on Thursday night, as it outlasted the Celtics 104-102. This was win No. 52 on the year, and leaves the Thunder with just 15 games left in their season. With only a limited number of games left, that means OKC’s goal of ending the season with the top seed is in arm's reach, but just how close is it?

The Thunder are currently 3.5 games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for first place in the West, and are currently one of the hottest teams in basketball. OKC has won seven straight games to aid in its journey for the top slot and is hoping to continue this dominance for the last portion of the season. 

This will be easier said than done, as OKC still has a difficult stretch of games remaining. This challenge starts on Sunday, with Oklahoma City taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves. This will be the two teams' final time meeting, and it will be a matchup the Thunder are looking to get even with. 

OKC is 1-2 against the Timberwolves this season, and would love to end the regular season series in a tie, rather than losing it. 

The Thunder then have a stretch against mid-tier to lower-level Eastern teams, before having to deal with the top three seeds of the East in four games. First up is the Boston Celtics, who just took OKC to the wire on Thursday night. 

Then Oklahoma City will have to deal with the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons on back-to-back nights. Oklahoma City has beaten the Knicks once this year already in New York and is looking to sweep the series. 

The top-seeded Pistons are a different story. The Thunder fell to Detroit in the lone game they have played this year, and are not looking to lose another one. OKC had a shell of its full roster in the last matchup, with multiple key players out due to injury. This final bout between the two squads will hopefully result in the Thunder showing it can beat anyone when at full strength. 

To end the season, OKC will have three key matchups in April: two against the three-seed Los Angeles Lakers and one against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Although these are two of the best teams in the league, Oklahoma City hasn’t lost a game to either of them this year. 

One last showing of dominance against these two top West teams could be the final push to securing OKC’s No. 1 seeding for the playoffs. 

Ultimately, the Thunder’s main goal is to win a second NBA Championship in a row, and securing the top seed in the West could allow the Thunder to make that goal become a reality.