Basketball: Steven Adams eyes NBA playoffs as Oklahoma City Thunder book their spot

Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Miami to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Photo / Getty Images

Commentators have said throughout the NBA season that, despite their inconsistencies during the year, the Oklahoma City Thunder are not a team you'd want to meet in the playoffs.

However, that will be the fate of one Western Conference team as Steven Adams and the Thunder clinched their spot in the postseason with a 115-93 against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

During the course of the NBA season, the Thunder have proved to be a handful against the top teams in the league - holding a 6-3 record against the Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, who hold the three best records for the season.

In clinching their playoffs spot with one game to spare, the Thunder will now look to earn home court advantage for the opening round when they host Memphis on Thursday, with the fourth seed still within their reach.

However, there was still the possibility they could finish in the seventh or eighth seed, which would see them square off against the No.1 seeded Rockets or second seeded Warriors in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.

A low finish wouldn't necessarily work against them either. The Thunder don't have a losing record against either team this year, and the Warriors are expected to be without start guard Stephen Curry for the first round due to injury.

Adams, who was now on his way to a fourth berth in the playoffs in just his fifth year in the league, was kept relatively in check by Miami in Tuesday's match, but will be a big factor for the side come the post-season.

The Thunder trailed by as many as 18 points during the game, however their defence allowed them to draw close and, in the fourth quarter, the side outscored their hosts 39-12 in the final quarter to blow the result beyond doubt.

Guard Russell Westbrook steered the team home with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists - giving himself a chance to average a triple-double for the entire season for the second straight year.