OKC Thunder not concerned with top seed ... yet

Prior to Tuesday's game at Utah, the Thunder trailed the Spurs by just one game for first place. San Antonio is 41-12. Oklahoma City was 39-12 before playing the Jazz.

The team that finishes with the best record will earn home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference Finals. Last season, the Spurs finished three games ahead of OKC but relinquished both home-court advantage and a trip to the NBA Finals when they lost four straight games to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

For now, though, securing the top seed isn't the Thunder's focus.

“Of course coming toward the playoffs you always want to be the best team,” said Kevin Durant. “You want to have that home-court advantage. But right now, we're just trying to focus on us every single day and how we can be better and playing up to our standard, which is defense first. These last two or three games have been really great for us on the defensive end and setting the tone. So we got to keep it up.”

MARTIN RETURNS AFTER ONE-GAME ABSENCE

Guard Kevin Martin returned to the lineup Tuesday against Utah after missing Sunday's game at Phoenix with flu-like symptoms.

His return provided a big boost to the Thunder's bench, which had struggled mightily in the two games Martin has missed this season.

In a game at Minnesota, the Thunder's reserves scored just seven points when Martin missed the game with a thigh bruise. Oklahoma City lost by six. Against the Suns on Sunday night, the bench scored just three points through three quarters. The Thunder won that game by 28 points, however, and the bench ultimately scored 23 points in the blowout.