OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed his team's unprecedented 16-game winning streak after eliminating the Phoenix Suns in a 138-89 blowout win in the NBA Cup quarterfinal. The Thunder's near-perfect start extended its 24-1 record, tying the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best start in NBA history through 25 games.
However, extending the Thunder's streak has never been a priority, according to Daigneault, which has been critical in securing the consecutive wins one game at a time. Daigneault delivered an honest response when a reporter asked him what the secret was to the Thunder's emphatic 16-game winning streak.
“Not focusing on the win streak,” Daigneault said. “You just gotta play the next possession, get better the next day, win the next quarter, and compete in the next game. If you do that and you're present in the process, sometimes you look up, and you win a certain amount of games in a row. But we certainly need to understand that we still have a lot of improvement to make. We have a lot of things to sustain and a lot of competitive challenges ahead.
“There's a lot of season ahead of us. But guys have done a great job of staying very present in the season, so far, competing in the moment, and it's put us in a nice position,” Daigneault concluded.
Mark Daigneault on what’s critical throughout a 16-game winning streak: “Not focusing on the win streak…
We certainly need to understand we still have a lot of improvement to make. We have a lot of things to sustain, a lot of competitive challenges ahead” pic.twitter.com/01DJYjxt1y
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) December 11, 2025
Mark Daigneault's Thunder led a wire-to-wire victory as the Suns never held a single lead throughout the night. Oklahoma City's largest lead in the game reached 53 points in the final frame. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 3-for-4 from deep, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Chet Holmgren finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Jalen Williams added 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists, and Lu Dort chipped in a dozen points, including three threes, and four rebounds.
Thunder stat proves its 24-1 dominance this season
The defending champion Thunder is racking up astonishing stats that reflect their dominating start to the 2025-26 campaign, including how long it's held a 20-point lead against various opponents. Compared with how often the Thunder has trailed this season, the ratio is eye-popping, which ESPN's Tim Bontemps illustrated.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder have led by at least 20 points for 264 minutes and 17 seconds this season. They have trailed for 249 minutes and 53 seconds. Not bad,” Bontemps said, per ESPN's Matt Williams.
The Thunder will face the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals on Saturday.
