NBA roundup: Defending champions Thunder seal Western Conference top seed

[p]Center [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] poured in 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] added 20 points and 11 assists for the reigning champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a], who notched [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-clippers-vPeTYlqm/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=8zqX3V5m"]a seventh straight victory[/a] to improve to 64-16 with two games left in the regular season.[/p][p]Oklahoma City snagged the West's top seed for the third year running, and with the best overall record they'll have home court advantage throughout the playoffs.[/p][p]"It's extremely important," said Holmgren, who added five assists, two steals and four blocked shots. "[b]Just knowing that in the event of a game seven it's always going to be at home. We saw that in the playoffs last year twice, so it's extremely important[/b].[/p][p]"[b]It's great to see that the hard work has paid off in one way, and now we've got more to do[/b]," Holmgren added.[/p][embed guid="5248c833-f281-4eb6-b7f6-cf50f9ff4b8c" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2042104599041958088" social-type="twitter" /][p]OKC's win means the surging [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio Spurs[/a] are locked into the second seed in the West.[/p][p]San Antonio cruised past the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portland-trail-blazers/4Awl14c5/"]Portland Trail Blazers[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/portland-trail-blazers-4Awl14c5/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=8xvDbzU7"]112-101[/a] despite the absence of superstar [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a] -- who sat out with a bruised rib -- and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castle-stephon/Kzd3IGeT/"]Stephon Castle[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-de-aaron/Ysw8Hl5J/"]De'Aaron Fox[/a] scored 25 points to lead a balanced Spurs attack. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-keldon/xj823cMg/"]Keldon Johnson[/a] scored 20 points off the bench and rookie reserve [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bryant-carter/6JY2xIIi/"]Carter Bryant[/a] contributed 17.[/p][embed guid="13c7d571-5853-4718-8d08-c08f2dcb22e5" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2042093329945346068" social-type="twitter" /][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] tightened their grip on third place in the West, beating the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/memphis-grizzlies/U1I5YSDa/"]Memphis Grizzlies[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/denver-nuggets-CxvW27TI/memphis-grizzlies-U1I5YSDa/?mid=EZQbMwME"]136-119[/a] behind a triple-double of 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a].[/p][p]Three-time MVP Jokic posted his 34th triple-double of the season, the 198th of his career, to help Denver win their 10th straight -- their first double-digit win streak of his tenure.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murray-jamal/Ig5nQrEF/"]Jamal Murray[/a] scored 26 points to lead eight Nuggets players to score in double figures as Denver edged further ahead of the injury-hit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles Lakers[/a] for the third seed.[/p][embed guid="0e49f8c7-c68a-435e-8bfd-0b4cb63847c0" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2042089394287358299" social-type="twitter" /][p]Eastern Conference top seeds [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a] welcomed star guard [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a] back to action with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/detroit-pistons-UcjMRj6J/milwaukee-bucks-QTBEW6rC/?mid=nNk40dae"]137-111[/a] victory over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/milwaukee-bucks/QTBEW6rC/"]Milwaukee Bucks[/a].[/p][p]Cunningham, who had missed 11 games with a collapsed lung, scored 13 points and handed out 10 assists in just under 26 minutes on court.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/duren-jalen/xva6ve5b/"]Jalen Duren[/a] scored 21 points to lead the Pistons, who had seven players score in double figures.[/p][p]The Pistons have locked up the top seed and home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the return of Cunningham and teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stewart-isaiah/ETLNkHdm/"]Isaiah Stewart[/a], sidelined since March 13th with a calf strain, was a welcome opportunity to build their fitness before the playoffs start on April 18th.[/p][p]"[b]There is no way to replicate NBA basketball[/b]," Bickerstaff said.[/p][h2]Cavs hold off Hawks[/h2][p]In [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-donovan/hhFqipLe/"]Donovan Mitchell[/a] scored 31 points, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mobley-evan/SrZZLQHj/"]Evan Mobley[/a] added 22 points and 19 rebounds and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harden-james/zm5V3CZo/"]James Harden[/a] chipped in 21 points as the Cavaliers held off the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atlanta-hawks/xAO4gBas/"]Atlanta Hawks[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/atlanta-hawks-xAO4gBas/cleveland-cavaliers-xGk13Tb6/?mid=KC5P7v7L"]122-116[/a], denying the Hawks' bid to clinch a playoff berth.[/p][p]The Cavs, who notched a fourth straight win, are assured of a top-four seed in the East and are chasing the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-york-knicks/WCNO4nbt/"]New York Knicks[/a] for third.[/p][embed guid="2a7af136-2d73-4d93-ab65-52d6983a068d" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2042062644081725751" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Hawks are fifth in the East, but they are just half a game ahead of sixth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-raptors/CxtbCMdU/"]Toronto[/a] and could still slip into the play-in tournament that will see the seventh- through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff spots.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alexander-walker-nickeil/UX4LnqkP/"]Nickeil Alexander-Walker[/a] scored 25 points, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kuminga-jonathan/dKgxjMRF/"]Jonathan Kuminga[/a] added 24 off the bench for Atlanta, who cut an 18-point fourth quarter deficit to two but could get no closer.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] kept their hopes of escaping the play-in alive with a fourth straight win, beating the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota Timberwolves[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/?mid=vcnd2IUr"]132-120[/a].[/p]