With less than a month left in the NBA regular season, the battle for seeding in the Western Conference has taken shape after a number of twists and turns created by injuries and blockbuster trades. All along, the Oklahoma City Thunder have separated themselves from the pack through their dominant play.
With a 13-game cushion on three teams tied for second, the Thunder could clinch the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the West playoffs as soon as this week. The Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets are all even in the standings with the Los Angeles Lakers just a game back.