Chet Holmgren, the rookie center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, proudly unzipped his black hoodie sweatshirt to reveal the team's blue Northwest Division T-shirts. The Thunder had just clinched the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, and they celebrated with a team picture after their dominant 135-86 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
"We're not in the position we're in by accident," Holmgren said, emphasizing the hard work and dedication that got them there. "We're still eyes on the prize, locked in," he added, showing the team's focus on the upcoming playoffs.
Oklahoma City's journey to the top seed was historic, entering the final day of the regular season in a three-way tie for first place in the West with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, a first in NBA history. With a 57-25 record, the Thunder claimed the No. 1 spot, edging out the defending NBA champion Nuggets on a tiebreaker.
At an average age of 23.9 years old, weighted by playing time, the Thunder became the youngest team to earn the No. 1 seed since seeding began in 1984. This incredible rise saw them transition from a 24-win lottery team to the West's top seed in just two years.
"It's super surreal. It's fun," said Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team's oldest starter at 25. He emphasized the team's focus on daily improvement, which has been key to their success. "We have a lot more work to do," he added, looking ahead to the playoffs.
Oklahoma City and Denver are now awaiting the results of the West play-in games to determine their first-round opponents. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves dropped to the third seed after a loss to the Suns, setting up a first-round matchup with Phoenix.
In other first-round matchups, the LA Clippers and Mavericks will face off for the third time in the playoffs, with Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard leading their respective teams. The race for MVP features top candidates like Nikola Jokic, Doncic, and Gilgeous-Alexander, with the Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praising Gilgeous-Alexander's impact on the team's success.
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