OKC Thunder Get Standings Boost on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Historic Night

The Thunder are inching closer to locking up the top seed in the league.

Mar 12, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault talks to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) between plays against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City had an unforgettable night on its home floor and inched closer to securing that home-court advantage for the entire postseason.

On Thursday night, the Thunder beat the Boston Celtics 104-102 in another classic game in March. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the show with a 35-point night as he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for most consecutive 20-point games, notching his 127th against Boston.

Add in his outperforming Jaylen Brown in an MVP duel and the Thunder outlasting the Celtics in a potential Finals preview, and the night went about as perfect as it could have for Oklahoma City. However, the good news for the Thunder went far beyond the Paycom Center.

While the Thunder have spent most of the past month with the San Antonio Spurs on their tails for the No. 1 seed in the West, they received a little bit of help in that area from another Western Conference rival. The Denver Nuggets went into San Antonio and made a fourth-quarter comeback to secure a tight win over the Spurs, handing the West’s No. 2 seed its 18th loss of the season.

With a three-game lead in the loss column, the Thunder still don’t have much room for error, especially considering the Spurs own the tiebreaker. Yet, any loss for the Spurs can help the Thunder remain in the driver’s seat to own the top seed in the West for the third straight year, which would mark the first time a team has owned the top seed in its conference for three straight years since the Golden State Warriors from 2015-17.

With only 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Thunder’s magic number for the No. 1 seed in the West is still 13, but the extra separation gained on Thursday could prove critical in the final days of the season. Add in the Detroit Pistons’ recent slump, and the Thunder are also in the driver’s seat for the top overall seed for the second consecutive season.

For the cherry on top for the Thunder, the Philadelphia 76ers, who owe a top-four protected pick to the defending champions this year, suffered their fifth loss in the past seven games to drop to ninth in the East. So, by just about every measure, Thursday night was a great night for the Thunder.

With another potential playoff opponent on the horizon on Sunday, when the Minnesota Timberwolves come to town, Gilgeous-Alexander will look to extend his streak once again and help the Thunder continue their path to the No. 1 seed.