Thunder playoff standings: loss to Spurs, Pelicans win puts post season in doubt for Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma City Thunder got blown out again by the San Antonio Spurs, and this time on their home court. The loss culminates an 0-4 run against 4 of the top teams in the NBA (Mavericks, Grizzlies, Rockets, Spurs) and were it not for a remarkable 20 point comeback against the Suns, OKC would be staring at a 7 game losing streak as the season nears its end.

There is little optimism for the Thunder's playoff hopes at this point. They now trail the Pelicans by a full game in the standings. New Orleans got a remarkable comeback win against the NBA-leading Warriors, and by getting the job done, they have finally caught up to and surpassed the Thunder. In order for OKC to retake the 8th seed, they must hope that the Pelicans lose at least two more games than the Thunder do, with only about a week remaining in the season. The scenario is not completely implausible, as the Thunder face 3 sub-.500 teams, and only the Trail Blazers pose a difficult challenge (but it is also conceivable that Portland could rest their starters in that game). Meanwhile, the Pelicans must deal with the Grizzlies (fighting for #2 seed, the Rockets (same), and the Spurs, who still have an outside shot at the #3 seed.

The other team in the mix to try and grab that #3 seed is the Clippers, who stayed apace with the Spurs by defeating the Lakers.

Standings and stats via NBA.com/stats