Updated Mar. 24 West playoff standings as Thunder get close win over Clippers

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The Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched the first seed. Not surprising considering they've held a double-digit game lead in the standings for most of the season.

The Thunder a fresh off a high-stress 103-101 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday. The defensive battle saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggle with 26 points on 7-of-29 shooting. Meanwhile, Alex Caruso stepped up as he got the game-winning stop against Kawhi Leonard in the final seconds.

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 margin for error gets thinner. Thunder Wire will conduct daily updates on the West's standings until the season ends:

What happened last night?​

Nuggets 116, Rockets 111: Without Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets snapped the Rockets' nine-game win streak. Jamal Murray led the way with 39 points. The close game also featured Jalen Green having 30 points. It was an exciting matchup that could preview a second-round series.

Thunder 103, Clippers 101: This was a dog fight. A throwback to the 2000s, the Thunder outlasted the Clippers in a low-scoring affair. Gilgeous-Alexander had an inefficient 26 points as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were both out. Meanwhile, Leonard had 25 points but couldn't score the game-winner in the final seconds.

Mar. 24 playoff standings​

• 1. Oklahoma City Thunder 59-12 — GB
• 2. Houston Rockets 46-26 — 13.5 GB
• 3. Denver Nuggets 45-27 — 14.5 GB
• 4. Los Angeles Lakers 43-27 — 15.5 GB
• 5. Memphis Grizzlies 43-28 — 16 GB
• 6. Golden State Warriors 41-30 — 18 GB
• 7. Minnesota Timberwolves 41-31 — 18.5 GB
• 8. LA Clippers 40-31 — 19 GB
• 9. Sacramento Kings 35-35 — 23.5 GB
• 10. Phoenix Suns 34-37 — 25 GB
• 11. Dallas Mavericks 34-37 — 25 GB

Notable games today​

• Timberwolves vs. Pacers, 6 p.m. CT
• Lakers vs. Magic, 6 p.m. CT (NBA TV)
• Mavericks vs. Nets, 6:30 p.m. CT
• Bulls vs. Nuggets, 8 p.m. CT
• Bucks vs. Suns, 9 p.m. CT (NBA TV)
• Celtics vs. Kings, 9 p.m. CT

Next 3 games for the Thunder​

• Tuesday, Mar. 25 at Kings
• Thursday, Mar. 27 vs. Grizzlies
• Saturday, Mar. 29 vs. Pacers

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Updated Mar. 24 West playoff standings as Thunder barely beat Clippers

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