Oklahoma City joins an exclusive club in history with another 7-0 start

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder continued their streak with a 137–106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday at the Pike Center, improving to 7–0 to open the 2025–26 season. With the victory, Oklahoma City became only the third team in NBA history to start back-to-back seasons 7–0joined the Boston Celtics in 1963–65 and the Houston Rockets in 1993–95, both of which won back-to-back titles.

Last in the league in three-point accuracy early in the contest at just under 30%, the Thunder rediscovered their shooting rhythm, making 20-of-48 3-pointers (41.7%) and shooting 56% from the field overall. All 12 players who took the floor scored, with eight reaching double figures and nine connecting from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City’s offensive explosion included 48 points in the paint and 75 points in the first half as they built a 23-point lead at halftime and extended it to as many as 36 in the fourth quarter.

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the way, pouring in 30 points and seven assists in just 30 minutes before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. He made 8 of 14 shots from the field and went a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line. It was his 79th consecutive game with at least 20 points, tying Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for the third-longest streak in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander also recorded his third game of the season, scoring 30 points without a game in the final period.

Center Isaiah Hartenstein controlled both ends and finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes. His activity in the paint made the difference for OKC, as he helped the Thunder win the rebounding battle and kept the New Orleans frontcourt in check. The seven-footer has now collected three double-doubles in seven games while averaging 11.4 rebounds per contest.

Oklahoma City’s strong start is all the more remarkable given its depleted roster. The Thunder have yet to see Jalen Williams make his season debut while recovering from offseason wrist surgery. Chet Holmgren missed his third straight game with a lower back sprain, while Lou Dort went down with an illness. Defensive ace Alex Caruso and several valuable reserves also missed time, forcing head coach Mark Deino to adjust lineups on the fly.

Still, Oklahoma City showed no signs of slowing down. The win was the team’s 11th straight win over the Pelicans and tied for the best start in franchise history, set just last season. The Thunder will look to set a new record when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at the Intuit Dome, shooting for their first ever 8-0 start.