Thunder lock up the No. 1 seed for the 3rd straight season, putting the champs in elite NBA company

Oklahoma City becomes the seventh team in NBA history to finish with its conference's best regular-season record in at least three consecutive years.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:54pm

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A fractured, abstract painting depicting a basketball game or match, with the players' forms broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in a vibrant color palette, conceptually representing the Thunder's sustained excellence and dominance.The Thunder's third straight No. 1 seed cements their status as an NBA dynasty, with their high-powered offense and stifling defense deconstructed into a cubist masterpiece.Oklahoma City Today

For the third straight season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs. By wrapping up the best record in the Western Conference, the defending champions have joined an elite group of teams that have accomplished this feat, including the dominant Celtics teams of the 1970s and 1980s, the Showtime Lakers, the storied 1990s Chicago Bulls, the 2000s Lakers, and the 2010s Golden State Warriors.

Why it matters

Finishing with the top seed in the conference for three straight seasons is an impressive accomplishment that puts the Thunder in rarified air among the NBA's greatest dynasties. It speaks to the team's consistency, resilience, and ability to maintain a high level of play over an extended period, even as they've had to navigate some mid-season adversity.

The details

The Thunder (64-16) clinched the No. 1 seed with a 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. They are only the third team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in back-to-back seasons, joining the 1995-97 Bulls and the 2015-17 Warriors. Despite some injury issues that slowed them down for a stretch, the Thunder have regained their dominant form, going 22-2 since the All-Star break.

  • The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed with a win over the Clippers on Wednesday, April 9, 2026.
  • Oklahoma City has now finished with the best record in the West for three consecutive seasons.

The players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Thunder's MVP, who had 20 points and 11 assists in the clinching win over the Clippers.

Chet Holmgren

The Thunder forward who scored 30 points against the Clippers.

Mark Daigneault

The Thunder's head coach, who praised his team's ability to stay present and embrace each day's challenges despite the pressure of defending their championship.

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What they’re saying

“It feels better for sure, not only because we've had to weather a little more (adversity), but just repeating something and doing it again is always a little bit harder. It's a little more challenging. The league gets better. Players get better. For us to still have the best overall record through those ups and downs speaks volumes to the team.”

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP

“It's a great accomplishment. No two seasons are the same, and this season was a lot different experience. ... When you win the championship, that kind of hangs over you as a team the next year. Everybody — including ourselves — you judge yourself against that. It's incredibly hard to be present in the next regular season. I learned so much from this team, because their ability to come in every day and just embrace the day and the challenge that we had that day is really impressive, and it's why I think we had the season that we did.”

— Mark Daigneault, Head Coach

What’s next

The Thunder will have two more regular season games before several days off to prepare for the playoffs, where they will look to become the first team to win titles after having the NBA's best record in back-to-back seasons since Michael Jordan's Bulls did it in 1996 and 1997.

The takeaway

The Thunder's ability to maintain their dominance and clinch the No. 1 seed for the third straight season is a testament to their consistency, resilience, and commitment to team-first basketball. As they enter the playoffs, they will look to cement their legacy as one of the NBA's all-time great teams by defending their championship.