THUNDER WIRE - In a day filled with chaos across the league as teams jockey for playoff positioning one final time, OKC enjoyed an impromptu celebration of one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history in front of a half-filled New Orleans crowd.

The Oklahoma City Thunder savored a 115100 win over the helpless New Orleans Pelicans in their regular-season finale. It was another wireto- wire victory as they led by as many as 23 points.

“Really, really good effort by the guys. Obviously, we got guys a little disjointed. We got guys back in Oklahoma City and the professionalism by our players the last two games have been big time,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “Just competing together. Today we shot 19% from three and were able to win because of the defense and some of the easy ones generated, so great win.”

Both teams sent out their bench to play this game out of necessity but for different reasons. The Thunder had nothing at stake as they clinched the first seed a month ago. The Pelicans also had nothing at stake as they just wanted to clock out for the last time in a miserable season that’ll likely result in a clean house.

The Thunder had a fast start with an 11-2 run that forced the Pelicans to call a quick timeout. That didn’t do much on the court. OKC exited the first quarter with a 38-19 lead. After that though, New Orleans uglified the game.

After being ruled out with ankle soreness after just two minutes, the Thunder missed Jaylin Williams’ playmaking. They only scored 26 points in the second quarter and entered halftime with a decent — but not fearful — 64-49 lead over the Pelicans.

After the break, the Pelicans came out hot with a 13-5 run. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl’s 3-pointer made it a 71-65 contest with a little over seven minutes left in the third frame. The Thunder was on the verge of blowing a 23-point lead. Sure, it’s in a glorified exhibition, but that’d still leave a bad taste in your mouth. The Thunder ensured that wouldn’t happen. They answered with a 19-7 run to close out the third quarter and exited with a 90-72 lead. Aaron Wiggins and Branden Carlson resembled vintage Kobe and Shaq against the Pelicans’ G League squad.

The fourth quarter turned into Storytime. If the Thunder had a bench to clear, they likely would’ve. Instead, the rest of the game took a backseat to OKC’s broadcast crew reminiscing on one of the greatest regular seasons ever and preparing to talk about the playoffs despite holding very little information on who they’ll face in Game 1 next week. The Thunder shot 42% from the field and went 9-of-47 (19.1%) from 3. They shot 24-of-27 on free throws. They had 16 assists on 41 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points. Wiggins led the way with an efficient 28 points. Carlson had a career game with a 26-point double- double. Kenrich Williams tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds. Isaiah Joe scored 17 points but went 2-of-11 from 3.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans shot 39% from the field and went 7-of-38 (18.4%) from 3. They shot 23-of-30 on free throws. They had 22 assists on 35 baskets. Six Pelicans players scored double-digit points.

Antonio Reeves led the way with 20 points and six rebounds. Jamal Cain had 18 points and Lester Quinones had 17 points off the bench. Jose Alvarado finished with 14 points and four assists. Robinson-Earl tallied 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Most folks probably had other games on different screens during this game. That’s the fun of the NBA’s regular-season finale as all 30 teams finished their year by late afternoon. It gives a March Madness feel. For the Thunder, it was about a chance to collect an easy win and close the book of one of the best regular seasons ever. They now prepare for the NBA playoffs and will enter as a heavy title favorite.

“We can appreciate and be grateful for the things we accomplished and still be hungry. Both things can be true,” Daigneault said. “We got a young team and I think it’s important for them to understand some of the things they accomplished. Franchise record for wins is a great accomplishment. Some of the other things we accomplished together are great accomplishments. We don’t take them lightly. We’re grateful for them and we can still be hungry despite that. It was an unbelievable regular season.”

Ten teams were sent home for the year and only 20 remain as this week will see the play-in tournament play out to complete the full NBA playoff picture.

Tuesday, April 15

Magic vs. Hawks, 6:30 p.m. TNT Warriors vs. Grizzlies, 9 p.m. TNT

Wednesday, April 16 Bulls vs. Heat, 6:30 p.m. ESPN Kings vs. Mavericks, 9 p.m. , ESPN

Friday, April 18

East TBD vs. East TBD, Time TBD, ESPN West TBD vs. West TBD, Time TBD, TNT

Western Conference Matchups

The Golden State Warriors missed their shot at a top-six seed after an overtime loss to the Clippers on Sunday. That loss pushed them into the play-in bracket, where they’ll now face the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in the 7/8 matchup. The winner of that game secures the No. 7 seed and a first-round date with the Houston Rockets.

The loser? They’ll play again on Friday, facing the winner of the 9/10 game between the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. The prize in that do-or-die matchup: the No. 8 seed, and a chance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1.

The West is full of storylines. Golden State’s late-season surge began when Jimmy Butler arrived at the trade deadline, bringing a much-needed edge alongside Stephen Curry. Now, they’ll look to recapture the same magic Miami found in 2023, when Butler led the Heat from the play-in to the NBA Finals.

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