The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Wednesday night's blockbuster matchup against the Boston Celtics with hopes of clinching a playoff spot.
That is exactly what they were able to do as their 118-112 victory led the Thunder to become the first Western Conference team and the second NBA team to clinch a playoff berth this season.
Of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a playoff spot last week.
After the victory, the Thunder made a four-word statement about clinching a playoff spot on social media.
"Nothing given, everything earned," Oklahoma City posted on X following Wednesday's victory.
Nothing given, everything earned
Thunder clinches 12th playoff appearance since 2010, second most in the NBA #ThunderUppic.twitter.com/kI7oo58bYz
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 13, 2025
Oklahoma City also pointed out that this was their 12th playoff appearance since 2010, which is the second most of any team in the NBA.
The Thunder's statement is one that makes complete sense as the Thunder have earned everything this season.
Oklahoma City has dominated their way through the season thus far as they currently sit at the top of the West standings with a 54-12 record. They also lead the second place Memphis Grizzlies by 12 games.
Of course, the Thunder have been led by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season, but the rest of the roster has also played extremely well.
Jalen Williams has taken another step forward this season as he has thrived as Oklahoma City's second option, leading to his first All-Star appearance.
Chet Holmgren has also played well despite missing a ton of time due to injury and their offseason additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso have also played key roles.
With the Thunder now locked into a playoff spot, they will now focus the rest of the regular season on clinching the top seed in the West for the second consecutive season as they look to chase a championship with home court advantage in the playoffs.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 1:04 AM.