With two spots in the NBA Cup semifinals clinched on Tuesday, Western Conference teams in the quarterfinals were on the clock on Wednesday.
The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Phoenix Suns in the first matchup before the San Antonio Spurs visited the Los Angeles Lakers.
Oklahoma City cruised to a dominant 138-89 victory, punching their ticket to Las Vegas. The victory marked the Thunder’s 16th straight of the season, their longest win streak in franchise history. They also boast a 24-1 record, tying the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors with the best 25-game start in NBA history.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 28 points, while center Chet Holmgren put up 24 points and 8 rebounds. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a whopping plus-minus of +43. The Thunder are no strangers to Vegas, as they reached the NBA Cup final last season, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Lakers defeated the Spurs 118-116 in their most recent matchup on Nov. 5. They boast the highest-scoring starting backcourt in the NBA with Luka Doncic averaging 35 a game and Austin Reaves putting up a career-high 28.4. LeBron James is averaging 16.1 points after missing the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica.
San Antonio has had its own injury issues with star center Victor Wembanyama sidelined since Nov. 14 with a calf injury and guard Stephon Castle missing 10 games because of a hip flexor strain. Castle has returned to action, but Wembanyama remains out.
Who will punch their ticket to Las Vegas for the semifinals? Follow along below for live updates and highlights.
