Oklahoma City Thunder (64-16) beat LA the Clippers (41-39) 128-110 on the road on Wednesday, April 8, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Thunder had the better start, winning the first 34-23 to lead by 11 after one. The Thunder kept the pressure on with a 35-26 second quarter, carrying a 20-point lead into halftime.
The Clippers won the third 31-25 to stay in front, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Thunder took the fourth 34-30; the Thunder finished the job for a 128-110 regulation win.
What decided it
The Thunder got more from their shots, finishing at 65.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 54.7% for the Clippers. The Thunder made 22.9 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 18.6 for the Clippers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 100 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 127.9 points per 100 possessions to 109.9 for the Clippers.
Who made the difference
Chet Holmgren was the game's biggest individual force for OKC: 30 pts, 14 reb, 5 ast, 4 blk on 10-13 shooting. His Game Score of 34.2 led everyone. His team was +19 with him on the floor.
Chet Holmgren (30 pts, 14 reb, 5 ast) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (20 pts, 1 reb, 11 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 66% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 6-0.
The Thunder are now 64-16, and the Clippers are 41-39. The Thunder last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.