3 things to watch in Clippers-Thunder on League Pass

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 32 points in a 122-101 win over the Clippers on Dec. 18.

The LA Clippers (41-38) host the Oklahoma City Thunder (63-16) at Intuit Dome on Wednesday. The Thunder have won both games over the Clippers this season, and seven straight in this series. Both of those victories were by at least 19 points apiece. 

Here are three key storylines to know heading into today’s matchup.

1. Thunder eyeing best record in NBA…again: Oklahoma City had the best record in the NBA last season and rewarded its fans with their first title. That’s what the Thunder are looking to achieve this season, and they’re only one win away from securing the best record in the league and home-court advantage throughout the postseason.

Oklahoma City is just shy of its 68 wins from last season, but it’s headed into the playoffs with some serious momentum. The Thunder have won 17 of their last 18 outings, have only lost two games since Feb. 13 to the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics and they are a remarkable 40-9 against the Western Conference this season. To put into perspective how dominant they’ve been, OKC ranks top 5 in points scored, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers, blocked shots, defensive efficiency and net rating. 

2. The Clippers historic turnaround: The fact that the Clippers are guaranteed to finish .500 or better is astounding when you consider how far they’ve come. LA was 6-21 on Dec. 19, but they’ve posted a 35-17 record since then. Kawhi Leonard has performed at an All-NBA level all year, averaging 28 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.6 apg and 1.9 spg. Darius Garland has also been massive since the James Harden trade, averaging 21.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 6.7 apg and 1.2 spg since entering the starting lineup on March 7. The duo will have to carry them throughout the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, which LA is poised to participate in next week. 

3. A potential first round preview: If the season ended today, the Thunder would hold the No. 1 seed in the West and face the No. 8 seed that emerged from the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. Meanwhile, the Clippers at No. 8 would have a chance to avoid OKC by winning its first Play-In game (No. 7 vs. No. 8) to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. But if LA lost its opening game, it would be in a single-elimination game for the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the defending champion Thunder.