The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to dominate all of their opponents as they extended their current winning streak to 11 after toppling the Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons, 119-103, on Wednesday night. The Thunder still have a shot at crossing the 70-win mark, and it's thanks in large part to the continued stellar play of MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up 33 points, six rebounds, and three assists in their most recent victory.
Gilgeous-Alexander also has an opportunity to cross the 70-mark in terms of consecutive 20-point games, as he extended his current streak to 69 such contests — which is good for the fourth-best 20-point streak in league history, matching Michael Jordan's longest such streak, according to Sportsnet on X (formerly Twitter).
Only two other players have longer 20-point streaks than the one the Thunder star is currently on — Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. During the 1963-64 season, Robertson scored 20 or more in 76 consecutive games, while Chamberlain, to no one's surprise, has two separate 80-game 20-point streaks — one during the 1961-62 season and one during the 1963-64 campaign.
To be in the company of such elite scorers is no mean feat for Gilgeous-Alexander, and his consistency is the number one reason as to how the Thunder have become the dominant team they've been over the past two seasons. Even the best go through off nights, but somehow, Gilgeous-Alexander is immune to such games, and OKC has been very difficult to beat because of it.
It's not quite clear how many regular-season games Gilgeous-Alexander will be playing from here on out with the Thunder having locked down the one-seed already. Preserving his health will be the team's number one priority as they look to redeem themselves from their heartbreaking second-round exit last year.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win his first MVP amid dominant Thunder season?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Nikola Jokic may be averaging a triple-double, but it looks as though the voters will be favoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP race, and for good reason. There is still merit in rewarding the best player on the league's best team, especially when the statistical case isn't exactly as lopsided as some Jokic supporters would suggest.
It's not quite fair if Gilgeous-Alexander would be penalized for having better teammates than Jokic, and Gilgeous-Alexander's consistency and incredible play all throughout the season makes him a deserving MVP winner, especially when he's playing for a Thunder team that remains within shouting distance of a 70-win campaign.