The streaking Los Angeles Clippers knocked Oklahoma City out of first place in the West with a forceful 92-77 victory on Monday that earned the hosts a first playoff berth in six years.
Nick Young led a balanced attack with 19 points off the bench, Blake Griffin added 17 and 11 rebounds and the Clippers overwhelmed the visiting Thunder in the second half to reach the post-season for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.
The Thunder (44-17), meanwhile, slipped percentage points behind San Antonio in their see-saw tussle for the top seed in the conference.
Kevin Durant had a team-high 24 points for Oklahoma City, who built a nine-point halftime lead before being outscored 49-25 in the second half
It was their second defeat at the hands of the Clippers in less than a week following a two-point loss last Wednesday.
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)
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