OKLAHOMA CITY — The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder is on the cusp of extending its longest winning streak in franchise history amid a near-perfect 2025-26 regular season. Despite injuries to key players such as All-Star Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Thunder found a way to win again — even without its reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in Sunday’s 131-101 rout against the Utah Jazz.
A victory against the Phoenix Suns in Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarter-final would stretch the Thunder’s longest winning streak to 16. Oklahoma City’s league-leading 23-1 record, led by a +16.1 point differential, is astonishing, as the Thunder has run laps around its opponents. The padded leads have resulted in Gilgeous-Alexander missing 12 fourth quarters this season, while still averaging 30+ points per game (32.8).
SGA has finished with 30+ points in 19 of 23 appearances, extending his streak of scoring 20+ points to 95 consecutive games and surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s second-longest streak in NBA history (92). It’s the most efficient season of Gilgeous-Alexander’s career — he’s averaging 0.98 points per minute, according to StatMuse.
Shai is also averaging 33.3 minutes per game, which is his lowest usage since his rookie year. It feels as if either Gilgeous-Alexander or the Thunder, as a team, is setting a new record every week this season. Still, the best we’ve seen from this year’s Thunder squad should still be on the horizon.
The defending champions not only have an opportunity to break the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors’ 73-9 mark as the best regular season in NBA history, but also turn some heads while doing it.
Jalen Williams rejoins streaking Thunder, fits right in
Head coach Mark Daigneault’s starting five hasn’t played a single minute together this year — still, the Thunder is only the third team in NBA history to win 23 of its first 24 games in a season. Jalen Williams missed 19 consecutive games before making his season debut, which prolonged the starting lineup’s long-awaited reunion since winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Pacers in June.
While finding his offensive rhythm in his first games back, the All-Defensive forward showed no rust on one end of the floor, finishing with four blocks and two steals in his first two games back. Williams is now averaging 20.7 points on 54.3% shooting and 6.3 assists in December. Still, the Thunder roster continues to deal with injuries.
Starting center Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a calf injury, while starting guard Lu Dort missed his ninth game of the season, which unlocked opportunities for second and third-year guards such as Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace — two of the Thunder’s fringe starters who have taken significant strides in their defense and playmaking abilities this season. At the same time, Chet Holmgren is off to 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’s an early odds-on favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Barring any significant injury, 2025-26 should turn out to be only Chet’s second full regular season.
The Thunder is 5-0 since Williams returned, capped by his best performance yet — 25 points, eight assists, and two steals — in Sunday’s win against the Jazz. The Thunder will look to extend its winning streak to 16 for its best in franchise history.
Suns look to spoil Thunder’s historic night in quarter-final game
The closest the Thunder came to earning its second loss of the season happened in its final matchup of the NBA Cup’s group stage against the Suns. The defending champions held on for a 123-119 win, and after the game, Suns All-Star Devin Booker got a good feel for the Thunder and how its approach got the best out of the Suns.
Booker claimed that “the secret is out” regarding the Thunder’s defense, noting that they “play aggressively” as a means to “speed you up.” The Suns have won two of their last four games, including a 108-105 win against Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves without Booker, who's dealing with a right groin injury.
Booker is considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Thunder.
