Will the OKC Thunder chase after the NBA's best record?

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The NBA doesn't hand out a trophy for the best regular-season record like hockey, but its prize for the achievement is the next best thing. The better record between the two squads in the NBA Finals will enjoy homecourt advantage as they chase a championship.

That's especially relevant this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have battled out a Cold War for the best record. The two historically dominating regular-season teams have lapped the rest of their respective conferences for the top seed. It's only a matter of when before they each clinch the first seed.

While there's no such thing as a cakewalk in the playoffs, both teams should enter as the co-title favorites and the most likely 2025 NBA Finals matchup. If they're on a collision course, the Cavaliers have been ahead of the Thunder for most of the season for the best record. That was until an active three-game losing streak gave OKC the lead for the best record.

The Thunder sit at 57-12. They've already matched their win total from last season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have fallen to 56-13 and are a game back. How much does homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals matter to OKC? Not more than confidence and rest.

“We want to go into the playoffs healthy, fresh, confident and as improved as we can be," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. "Those are the priorities.”

That's the smart approach to take. Considering the Thunder's double-digit first-place lead, the regular season's final month should be about preparing his roster for the playoffs with rest and confidence. They've already taken that approach by resting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a couple of times over the last few weeks.

Considering the constant juggling of injuries the Thunder have dealt with this season, the cautious approach is the safest, albeit a bit boring, of both options.

There's no point in adding extra mileage to their legs when the Thunder are hopeful their playoff trip lasts three months and deep into June. Where Games 1 and 2 are played in the NBA Finals are champagne problems they'll deal with later if that materializes.

"We want to be healthy, as healthy as we can be going into the playoffs. We want to be fresh, we want the guys to have the juice for sure. Because those are taxing as we know," Daigneault said. "We want the guys confident because those are high-stakes games and you need confidence to perform in the playoffs. We want to use these games to make sure every guy is confident heading into those games. We want to improve through the games and wherever that lands us."

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Will the OKC Thunder chase after the NBA's best record?

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