OKC Thunder NBA Playoff Path Made Easier by Denver Nuggets Win

It took until Game 82 for the Oklahoma City to find out their title defense path. On Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder locked up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the third straight season with the best record in the NBA for the second straight campaign.

On Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder had nothing to play for against the Phoenix Suns. All of their staple rotational players sat in street clothes besides defensive-ace Lu Dort who needed to log one more game of 20-plus minutes to qualify for awards. The Bricktown Ballers played as such, down 70-52 at intermission.

Though, all eyes even in the Paycom Center were centered on the Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs clash on ESPN. A Nuggets win would grant Denver the third seed, placing them on San Antonio's side of the bracket. A loss would slot the Mile High City Crew into the No. 4 seed with a date against the Thunder set for the second round assuming the Lakers held on against the Utah Jazz and neither the Nuggets nor Thunder suffered a first round upset.

It was a 20-0 run to end the first half for the Nuggets to take a 70-56 lead into the locker room. Just one half away from clinching the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

Out of intermission, Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic did not emerge onto the hardwood. His night was done after playing in 18 minutes, scoring 23 points, hauling in eight rebounds, dishing out two assists and blocking a shot while being a +6 in the ball game.

The Spurs answered the call to start the second half on a 10-0 run. Heading into the final frame, San Antonio had the deficit down to just ten points.

12 minutes would decide if the Thunder had the easiest path possiblein the NBA Playoffs or one of the hardest we have seen in some time throughout league history.

Denver kept it at a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half. With under two minutese to play it was the Nuggets who clung to an eight point lead that continued to slip after a steal and slam by Devin Vassell. He didn't get any help from his point guard as De'Aaron Fox went 0-for-3 on a single possession from distance to allow the Nuggets to escape with a win.

With this result, the Oklahoma City Thunder's playoff path is set. In the first round, the Thunder will welcome one of the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, L.A. Clippers, or Golden State Warriors into the Paycom Center on Sunday, April 19, to start the best-of-seven set. In Round 2, the Thunder would face the winner of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed matchup.

On the other side of the bracket, the San Antonio Spurs welcome in one of the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, L.A. Clippers or Golden State Warriors. In Round 2, they would take on the winner of the Denver vs. Minnesota Timberwolves first-round series in a No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed battle.

This grants the Bricktown Ballers the easiest playoff path you could hope for. The expected reward for going wire-to-wire as the best record in the NBA.

Stay tuned to Thunder on SI for complete coverage of the OKC Thunder playoff run.