The Oklahoma City Thunder’s defense of the NBA championship they won last year has gotten off to a near perfect start.
In fact, not only have the Thunder been racking up victories, but they also have been winning games at a historic level.
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A win tonight against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Cup quarter-finals would see OKC set a new franchise record for a winning streak with 16 consecutive victories, as per clutchpoints.com.
Dec 7, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) reacts after a dunk against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Thunder in rare company
Additionally, Oklahoma City’s current record of 23-1 sees them join some rarefied air amongst teams in league history.
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As per ESPN Insights, Mark Daigneault’s side are only the third team ever to emerge victorious in 23 out of their first 24 games in an NBA season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the third team in NBA history to win 23 of their first 24 games 🔥
They join the 2015–16 Warriors (24–0) and the 1969–70 Knicks (23–1), both of which reached the NBA Finals 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q3OleGpvKh
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 10, 2025
The only other sides to have achieved such a feat are the 1969-70 New York Knicks and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, with Steve Kerr’s Warriors squad also setting an NBA record for regular season wins that year with 73 victories.
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This accomplishment which the Thunder share with those two other teams could be a good omen for their prospects the rest of the season, as both the Knicks and Warriors went on to play in the NBA Finals in their respective campaign.
Golden State however famously blew a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals, whilst the 1970 Knicks did capture their franchise’s first ever title.
Dec 31, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and his teammates gather for an interview after their win against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Last year’s league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has been playing at a high level once again this season for Oklahoma City averaging 32.8 points per contest, as per NBA.com.
And while the playoffs are still a few months away, SGA probably has a good chance of completing the NBA championship and MVP double in this campaign as well as the Thunder appear primed to make another championship run with the form they’re currently in.
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