The Oklahoma City Thunder have equalled the best 25-game start in the history of the NBA, as the 2025 champions began their championship defence with a near-perfect record.
A 138-89 win over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Cup quarter-finals means the Thunder have won 24 of their first 25 games this season, equalling the record set by the Golden State Warriors in 2015/16.
The defending champions sit top of the Western Conference with a 24-1 conference record, with the Denver Nuggets the closest competition at 17-6 for the season.
The victory is a franchise-record 16th straight win for the Thunder, with 2025 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 28 points to mark 96 games in a row with 20 or more points. The Thunder have now won 92 of their 107 regular-season games since the start of last season, with 68 regular-season wins in 2024/25 and a total of 84 wins including the play-offs and Finals, which is the third-most in NBA history.
The record for the most wins in a regular season is 73, set by Golden State in 2015/16, and while the Thunder are currently 24-1, there is some way to go to yet, though they’re certainly on track to better their 68-14 record from last season.
The result means the Thunder will face the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semi-finals in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the defending NBA champions looking to go one better in the NBA’s annual in-season tournament this year, having lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024/25. The other semi-final sees Orlando Magic take on the New York Knicks for a place in the final on Tuesday, 16 December.
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