Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Thunder are in Las Vegas for Saturday’s NBA Cup semifinals. Past the quarter mark of the NBA’s season, Oklahoma City has dropped just one game—a two-point loss to the Trail Blazers on Nov. 5.
The Thunder are an incredible 24–1 with the NBA’s all-time record for most wins in a season appearing more within reach by the day. The Warriors went 73–9 in the 2015–16 season, passing the 1995–96 Bulls by one game. At this pace, Oklahoma City is slated to lose just three or four games this season. Of course, each game must get played and it’s not realistic to keep winning at the same rate through the NBA’s long regular season, but the Thunder have done exactly that thus far.
Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s MVP, was asked about the wins record Friday at NBA Cup media availability. While many records are trivial to the athletes who break them, this one is special, and Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged he and his teammates are thinking about it.
“Absolutely,” he said via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Winning matters. And no matter what form it looks like to me. So absolutely.”
The Thunder started the season with eight straight wins, including their first two wins of the year that each came in double overtime. Since the early November loss to the Blazers, Oklahoma City has rattled off 16 wins in a row, which has led them straight to Vegas for a chance to claim the NBA Cup.
Currently, OKC’s 16-game streak is a franchise record, one better than the 15-game win streak the Thunder went on last season. Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 32.6 points per game, right on pace with his MVP-winning mark from last season. As the Thunder aim to defend their title, they continue to reach new heights as one of the strongest teams assembled in NBA history.
The Thunder will have a chance to extend the franchise-best streak Saturday against the Spurs, where Victor Wembanyama is likely to return after a month-long absence.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Addresses Thunder’s Pursuit of NBA Wins Record Amid Hot Start.
