Under-the-radar Thunder clinch playoff spot, but does anyone care?

Steven J. Gaither

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Under-the-radar Thunder clinch playoff spot, but does anyone care? image

In the midst of the Warriors' shooting exhibition and some college basketball tournament, the Thunder clinched a playoff berth Friday.  

But does it even matter? 

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The Thunder's 111-97 win over the 76ers means they are back in the playoffs a year after just missing them mostly because of injuries. 

Since the their last appearance in the playoffs in 2014, a lot has changed. Namely, the Warriors have become the team they were supposed to be. A free-wheeling, high-scoring team with a likeable, non-LeBron MVP. 

And then some things have stayed the same. Namely the Spurs. The old guard has not died, it has reloaded with LaMarcus Aldridge and rebuilt around Kawhi Leonard. 

So while the Thunder's 47-22 record is nice, it just isn't going to turn heads. The Thunder have been there and done that. Making the playoffs is nice, but until they can prove that they can make noise once they get there they won't be seen in the same class as the Warriors or Spurs. 

Tweet of the Night

Cleveland's LeBron James showed he's still got a little bit of hops left in his 31-year-old legs during a 109-103 win over the Magic. 

Studs of the Night

The night belonged to "The Splash Brothers." Klay Thompson (39) and Stephen Curry (31) combined to score 70 points as the Warriors came away with a 130-112 win. Thompson was unconscious from the 3-point line, hitting 10 of 15 attempts, and Curry wasn’t bad, either, going 6 for 12. Thompson became the second-fastest player in NBA history with 1,000 career 3-pointers — behind only Curry. The Warriors tied their record with 15 3-pointers in a half.

Dud of the Night

The 76ers' loss to the Thunder didn't just put OKC into the playoffs, it was Philadelphia's 60th loss of the season. Everyone shared the blame as only Hollis Thomas (5 for 12 for 16 points) shot better than 33 percent from the field. YIKES!

Looking Ahead

Warriors (62-6) at Spurs (58-10) 10:30 p.m.: With all due respect to the college kids, this is the most anticipated single game of the day. The Spurs come into this game with a sparkling 34-0 home record, but that could be in jeopardy against a determined Warriors squad hoping to end a long losing streak to the Spurs. The Warriors have lost 32 consecutive games in San Antonio — and beating the Spurs would help them keep pace to break the all-time wins record. 

Steven J. Gaither