Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 23 points, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder secure a 125-107 victory over the injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, boosting their chances of clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Thunder were one game behind the Denver Nuggets and tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference standings with just two games left. Despite Denver’s loss to San Antonio and Minnesota’s win over Atlanta, Thunder coach Mark Daignealt remained focused on his team’s performance.
“I don’t have much reaction,” he stated. “We’ve got to focus on finishing strong.” Under Daigneault’s leadership, the Thunder have shown significant improvement for the second consecutive year.
“I believe big progress comes from small steps,” Daigneault explained. “We aim to stay present and focused on continuous improvement.”
The Bucks faced the Thunder without stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Antetokounmpo was ruled out for the rest of the regular season due to a calf injury, while Lillard sat out with a sore adductor. Milwaukee’s record without Antetokounmpo this season is 4-4.
A victory for the Bucks could have secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, they can still achieve this with a win against Orlando on Sunday or if the New York Knicks lose to the Chicago Bulls on the same day.
Coach Doc Rivers emphasized the importance of health over standings before the game. He mentioned that securing the third or fourth seed would eliminate the uncertainty of the Play-In Tournament and ensure a home advantage in the first game of the next round.
“The good news is, no matter what, we’ll be at home for Game 1,” Rivers confirmed. “That we do know.”
