Updated Mar. 15 West playoff standings as Thunder face Pistons

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have a strong hold on the first seed. That's been the case for most of the season, with a double-digit game lead in the standings. There's been little drama for most of the year on whether they'll repeat as the top seed.

After a rare two-day break, the Thunder get back on the court Saturday against the Detroit Pistons. They'll do so short-handedly as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be out.

Less than a month remains in the 2024-25 regular season. Even though the Thunder aren't involved, plenty of heated races for seeding have ramped up as the maeing for error gets thinner. Thunder Wire will conduct daily updates on the West's standings until the season ends:

What happened last night?​

Clippers 121, Hawks 98: The Clippers blew out the Hawks in a much-needed win. The win was highlighted when Atlanta was held to eight points in the third quarter. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden each scored an efficient 25 points.

Cavaliers 133, Grizzlies 124: The Grizzlies dropped a close game to the Cavaliers. This helped Cleveland set a franchise-record 16 wins in a row. Memphis has struggled to beat the team's best teams all season and this was the latest example. Ja Morant exploded for 44 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Rockets 133, Mavericks 96: The Rockets dominated their divisional rival. Dallas continues to deal with a depleted roster. Seven Houston players scored double-digit points. Tari Eason led the way with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting.

Timberwolves 118, Magic 111: The Timberwolves escaped with a close win over the Magic. A 40-point fourth quarter highlighted the much-needed victory. Anthony Edwards had 28 points and five assists.

Nuggets 131, Lakers 126: The Nuggets almost suffered an upset against the hospital Lakers. They were without LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Six Denver players scored double-digit points. Nikola Jokic led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves went off for 37 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Los Angeles has lost four in a row.

Suns 122, Kings 106: The Suns picked up a critical win over the Kings. They inch closer to the play-in tournament picture with the blowout. Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones each scored 20-plus points. Phoenix is now just 1.5 games back from the 10th spot.

Mar. 15 playoff standings​

• 1. Oklahoma City Thunder 54-12 — GB
• 3. Denver Nuggets 43-24 — 11.5 GB
• 5. Houston Rockets 42-25 — 12.5 GB
• 2. Memphis Grizzlies 42-25 — 12.5 GB
• 4. Los Angeles Lakers 40-25 — 13.5 GB
• 6. Golden State Warriors 38-28 — 16 GB
• 7. Minnesota Timberwolves 39-29 — 16 GB
• 8. LA Clippers 37-30 — 17.5 GB
• 9. Sacramento Kings 33-33 — 21 GB
• 10. Dallas Mavericks 33-35 — 22 GB
• 11. Phoenix Suns 31-36 — 23.5 GB

Notable games today​

• Thunder vs. Pistons, 6 p.m. CT
• Bulls vs. Rockets, 7 p.m. CT
• Heat vs. Grizzlies, 7 p.m. CT
• Knicks vs. Warriors, 7:30 p.m. CT (ABC)
• Wizards vs. Nuggets, 8 p.m. CT

Next 3 games for Thunder​

• Sunday, Mar. 16 at Bucks
• Wednesday, Mar. 19 vs. Sixers
• Friday, Mar. 21 vs. Hornets

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Updated Mar. 15 West playoff standings as Thunder face Pistons

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