A quarter of the way through the NBA season, the realities of the league are becoming clear. On one end, teams like the Wizards and Pelicans, with only three wins, are headed for a season with 15 victories or fewer. In the East, the Pistons and Knicks have started well, while last year’s finalists, the Indiana Pacers, sorely miss Tyrese Haliburton, and their season looks bleak.
In the competitive West, it will once again be an open battle, requiring 50 wins to guarantee a direct playoff spot. The only team sailing smoothly are the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. With just one loss, their focus is not only on winning back-to-back championships but also on challenging the best regular-season record in NBA history.
Thunder Push Toward Historic NBA Milestone
Through 24 games, the Thunder (23-1) have the second-best start in NBA history, tied with the 1969-70 Knicks. They sit ahead of Michael Jordan’s 1995-96 Bulls (22-2) and are only behind the 2015-16 Warriors, who suffered their first loss in game 25. With a victory in their next game against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, the Thunder will officially tie the Warriors for the best start in history.
More impressively, the Thunder currently own the best offensive rating (120.0) and the highest net efficiency (+15.9) for any team in NBA history. What is most striking is the depth of their squad, as their supposed starting five has played a grand total of zero minutes together, yet they keep winning. This year, just like last, the message is clear: if you want to be a champion, you will have to defeat the Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Targets Wilt’s Scoring Streak
While the Thunder boast exceptional depth, their superstar remains Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who last season won the scoring title, the MVP, the championship, and an NBA Finals MVP. The 27-year-old already has nine games this season with 30 or more points in 30 or fewer minutes played. He has played in the fourth quarter in only 11 of his 23 games, and in only two of those did he play more than seven minutes-simply because the lead is often so large that the team rests him.
SGA also owns a streak of 95 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, the second-longest in history, trailing only the otherworldly Wilt Chamberlain, who had 126 straight 20-point contests from 1961 to 1963.
Given how SGA is playing this year, it is not inconceivable that he could surpass Wilt’s record, which would truly be another incredible statement. Although they don’t receive the most spotlight, the Thunder’s season so far is one of the greatest starts you will ever see in NBA history.
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