How Loss to Celtics Impacts OKC Thunder's Chances of Securing Top Seed

The Thunder have little margin for error as the season winds down.

Mar 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City’s winning streak is over, and its grip on the top seed is fading.

The Thunder entered Boston on Wednesday night with a 12-game winning streak and a three-game lead at the top of the Western Conference. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they were unable to extend their winning streak to 13, as the Celtics used a strong second half to take down the defending champions.

While the playoffs are only a few weeks away, the Thunder’s hopes of repeating could be impacted immensely by what happens in the final nine games of the regular season. Now sitting only two games above the San Antonio Spurs in the loss column, the Thunder’s magic number for the No. 1 seed is eight.

That means Oklahoma City’s path to clinching the top seed would require a combination of eight Thunder wins or Spurs losses. Considering the Spurs are just as hot, if not hotter, than the Thunder in the final stretch of the season, the final weeks should feature one of the best races for the top overall record in quite some time.

The Thunder’s loss to Boston is far from a devastating blow, given that the Celtics might be the best team in the East and the game was the final leg of a five-game road trip. Still, the loss has put the Thunder in an even tougher situation as the regular season inches closer to an end.

Over the final nine games of the regular season, the Thunder would need to go 8-1 to maintain the top seed if San Antonio wins out. While the Thunder should get a couple of easy wins at home against the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, the other seven remaining contests will feature matchups against postseason teams. 

The Thunder having six of their final nine games in Paycom Center should be a big advantage, especially considering this stretch will determine how far Oklahoma City will maintain home-court advantage in the postseason. If the Thunder can take care of business at home, even with some tough matchups on the schedule, they would need to win two of their three road games against the Lakers, Clippers and Nuggets to secure the top seed without needing any help from the Spurs’ opponents.

Although the Thunder don’t have much room for error over the final weeks of the season, they’ve still put themselves in an ideal position to earn the No. 1 seed without requiring any help from others.