OKC on the brink of setting another franchise record

OKLAHOMA CITY — Defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder is on pace to extend its longest winning streak in franchise history amid a near-perfect 2025-26 regular season. Despite injuries to key players such as the All-Star Jalen WilliamsLou Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, The Thunder found a way to win again — even without its reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderin Sunday’s 131-101 loss against the Utah Jazz.

A win against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday NBA Cup The quarterfinals would extend the Thunder’s longest winning streak to 16. Oklahoma City’s league-leading 23-1 record, led by a +16.1 point differential, is astounding, as the Thunder ran circles around their opponents. The padded leads caused Gilgeous-Alexander to miss 12 quarters this season while still averaging 30+ points per game (32.8).

SGA finished with 30+ points in 19 of 23 appearances, extending his 20+ point streak to 95 straight games and surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s second longest streak in NBA history (92). This is the most efficient season of Gilgeous-Alexander’s career — he’s averaging 0.98 points per minuteaccording to StatMuse.

Shai is also averaging 33.3 minutes per game, his lowest usage since his freshman year. It seems like Gilgeous-Alexander or the Thunder, as a team, are setting a new record every week this season. Still, the best we’ve seen from this year’s Thunder team should still be on the horizon.

The defending champions not only have a chance to dethrone the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in 2015-16 as the best regular season in NBA history, but they’re turning some heads while doing it.

Jaylen Williams rejoining the Thunder lineup is a perfect fit

Head coach Marc Daigneault’s starting five haven’t played a single minute together this year – yet the Thunder are just the third team in NBA history to win 23 of their first 24 games of a season. Jaylen Williams missed 19 straight games before making his season debut, extending the long-awaited reunion of the starting lineup since the NBA Finals Game 7 victory over the Pacers in June.

While finding his offensive rhythm in his first back-to-back games, the all-defensive forward showed no rust on one end of the floor, finishing with four blocks and two steals in his first two back-to-back games. Williams is now averaging 20.7 points on 54.3% shooting and 6.3 assists in December. However, the Thunder team continues to deal with injuries.

Starting center Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a calf injury, while starting guard Lou Dort missed his ninth game of the season, opening up opportunities for second- and third-year guards like Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace — two Thunder fringe starters who have made significant strides in their defense and playmaking this season. at the same time, Chet Holmgren embarks on the most impressive start of his career.

Averaging 18.6 points on 57.5% shooting, 8.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, Holmgren is on pace for his first All-Star selection. As the defensive anchor in the frontcourt of the NBA’s best defense, he is an early favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Barring any significant injury, 2025-26. it should turn out to be only Chet’s second full regular season.

The Thunder are 5-0 since Williams returned, with his best game yet — 25 points, eight assists and two steals — in Sunday’s win against the Jazz. The Thunder will look to extend their winning streak to 16 for their best in franchise history.

The Suns look set to spoil the Thunder’s historic night in the quarterfinals

The closest the Thunder came to a second loss of the season was in the final match of the group stage of the NBA Cup against the Suns. The defending champions held on for a 123-119 victory, and after the game, the Suns All-Star Devin Booker had a good feeling about the Thunder and how his approach brought out the best in the Sun.

Booker claimed the “secret is out” regarding the Thunder’s defense, noting that they “play aggressive” as a means of “rushing you.” The Suns have won two of their last four games, including a 108-105 win against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves without Booker, who is dealing with a right groin injury.

Booker is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Thunder.