OKC Thunder, LA Clippers clash in final regular-season matchup

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Lakers soon enough, but Sunday night, they face the hottest team in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome.

Victories are stacking up late in the season for the Clippers (40-30) with the return of Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers enter the matchup with the Thunder riding a five-game winning streak. Five is also the number of consecutive wins for the Thunder.

Sunday night’s game is a perfect opportunity to help set up playoff preparations for the Thunder. Philadelphia and Charlotte, both playing with limited rosters, didn’t provide much of a challenge at home. Los Angeles is finally healthy and using this stretch run to gain momentum heading into the postseason. Oklahoma City won the first three matchups in the regular season, so the Clippers will put their best foot forward in the fourth and final meeting.

The Clippers could be Oklahoma City’s opening-round opponent, but they are likely to continue climbing the Western Conference standings and at least secure the No. 7 seed.

Los Angeles’ shooting has stood out lately—during this stretch of wins, the Clippers are shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. Leonard and James Harden thrive on shooting momentum, and when they get going, they can be tough to stop.

One of Oklahoma City’s defensive specialists is questionable for Sunday’s game. Luguentz Dort has missed the last three games with a hip injury. The fact that he has been upgraded from out to questionable suggests he is close to returning, and the Thunder could use him against Leonard and Harden.

Jalen Williams remains out with a hip injury. His last game was March 10.