Final Game Of OKC Thunder Season Holds Major Importance

In the final game of last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder played the LA Clippers in a matchup that ended up hurting the the Thunder’s draft lottery odds. After pulling off a 117-112 victory that snapped a nine-game losing streak, the Thunder finished the season tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth-highest lottery odds rather than owning that slot outright.

This season, a similar story is starting to unfold. Oklahoma City is set play the Clippers in the final game of the season, with lottery odds once again on the line.

If the Thunder lose this matchup, they’ll earn sole possession of the fourth-best lottery odds. However if they win, there’s a chance it’ll parlay them into a tie for the fourth-highest lottery odds with the Indiana Pacers.

As such, the final game of the season in Los Angeles has huge implications for the future of the franchise in OKC.

There’s never a guarantee that earning better lottery odds means your pick will be higher on draft night, but for a small market team like the Thunder anything helps. Additionally, in any draft it’s very rare for even three of the top five players to become All-Stars at the next level. Regardless, owning the fourth-best lottery odds outright would be a huge victory for the Thunder and GM Sam Presti.

Entering the final day of the 2021-22 regular season, the Thunder are 24-57 while the Pacers sit at 25-56.

Indiana will be on the road Sunday afternoon to take on the Brooklyn Nets. If the Pacers win that game, the results of Oklahoma City’s matchup won’t matter as that would solidify the Pacers in the fifth slot of the reverse standings. If Indiana loses, the Thunder’s game in Los Angeles feels much more important.

There’s four remaining scenarios for OKC’s final lottery positioning based on these final two games of the season.

1. Thunder Lose, Pacers Lose – Fourth
2. Thunder Lose, Pacers Win – Fourth
3. Thunder Win, Pacers Lose – Tied Fourth
4. Thunder Win, Pacers Win – Fourth

As long as the Thunder lose against the Clippers, they lock in the fourth-highest lottery odds. The final outcome of the season as it relates to potentially landing a top pick is truly in Oklahoma City’s own hands.

To add another wrinkle to the reverse standings, the Detroit Pistons currently have one fewer win than the Thunder. They’ll be on the road to take on the Philadelphia 76ers for their final matchup of the season.

Although it’s unlikely, a Detroit win also gives the Thunder a chance to tie them for the third-worst record in the NBA. This means that entering the final day of the regular season, the Thunder could end up in a tie for the third-best lottery odds.

While the final day of the regular season usually doesn’t have much importance for teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs, it’s a huge day for Oklahoma City. The results of three separate games will determine whether the Thunder finish tied for the third-highest lottery odds, tied for the fourth-highest lottery odds, or own the fourth-highest odds outright.