Thunder clinch No. 1 seed, but remain 'eyes on the prize' / News - Basketnews.com

The Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season as the top seed in the Western Conference.

Credit: Getty Images via AFP-Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP-Scanpix

The Oklahoma City Thunder scored a huge 135-86 blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks to clinch the top seed in the West.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Team:Oklahoma City ThunderPosition:PGAge:25Height:198 cmWeight:82 kgBirth place:Toronto, CanadaProfileNewsStatistics

The win gave them a 57-25 record, tied with the Denver Nuggets, but the Thunder secured the No. 1 seed because they own the tiebreaker.

OKC rising star Chet Holmgren said after the game that the team is proud of the hard work they put in this season but, at the same time, remain focused on the task at hand.

"We're not in the position we're in by accident. There was a lot of dedication and hard work that went into it. But we're not celebrating because what we're trying to do, we're not there yet. So, we're still eyes on the prize, locked in," he said.

Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said this season has been "super surreal" for the Thunder, who became the youngest team to earn the No. 1 seed since the NBA started seeding in 1984.

Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderCredit AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson - Scanpix

"Obviously, you play to win. It's [more fun] like that, but I think it goes back to us chipping away at it every day and not worrying about the past or the future. Just chipping away, seeing where that gets us, and us taking that mentality has allowed us to get here," he said. "So yeah, it feels good, something to be proud about. We have a lot more work to do."

Oklahoma City now awaits the results of the West play-in games to find out who they will face in the first round of the playoffs.

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