{"id":169501,"date":"2025-12-11T12:29:43","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=169501"},"modified":"2025-12-11T12:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:29:43","slug":"setting-historic-okc-win-record-concerning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/12\/11\/setting-historic-okc-win-record-concerning\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting a Historic OKC Win Record is Concerning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors came up with a title after a long rebuild. After that, they set off the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask\/most-wins-in-a-season-nba\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">best season in league history<\/a>. They beat the 72-10 Chicago Bulls set by <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jordami01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Jordan<\/a>&#8216;s squad, and went 73-9. However, it seems that another team is closing in on that feat just a decade later. We are seeing the rise of a historic OKC win record at this point. But does that spell a lot of concerns for the defending champions?<\/p>\n<p>In case you forgot, the 72-10 Bulls remain the best team in history when it comes to arguments. That&#8217;s because Jordan led Chicago to a title in that same year. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> and the Warriors, on the other hand, fell short after blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. While none of those actually have a bearing on the Thunder, there&#8217;s a lot of discussion on that end.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Thunder have matched the 2015-16 Warriors with the BEST start through 25 games \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p>Can OKC beat Golden State\u2019s 73-9 record this year? \ud83e\udd14 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NELKiOqKdF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/NELKiOqKdF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/YahooSports\/status\/1998952149636501543?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Setting a Historic OKC Win Record is Concerning<\/h2>\n<p>By now, we all know that there&#8217;s a chance for OKC to set another historic record this year. They are projected to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/13\/is-okc-capable-reaching-70-wins-2025-26\/\" target=\"_self\">eclipse at least 77 wins<\/a>, which says a lot about how good this team is. But the last time a team broke the record for the most wins in NBA history, they ended up empty-handed in the Finals. Not to say much, but OKC is on the same track as the Warriors this time.<\/p>\n<h3>The Thunder&#8217;s Pace is Stunning<\/h3>\n<p>One could easily tell that Oklahoma City is gunning for the best record in the NBA. For starters, OKC has the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.statmuse.com\/nba\/ask\/largest-point-differential-per-game-by-a-nba-team-in-a-season\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">largest point differential in league history<\/a>. As of the time of writing, this Thunder team has a differential of +17.48. If you are not impressed, the next team on the list is no other than the same squad last season, with +12.87. See that impressive leap by the defending champs?<\/p>\n<p>At this point, we have seen how OKC has emerged as a contender in a short period of time. From finishing with 68 wins last season, they have now matched the 2016 Warriors&#8217; 24-1 start. The latter even went 29-1 before losing their second game. With the Thunder&#8217;s schedule looking good, it seems that they can even eclipse that.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">OKC ON \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n<p>The Thunder have posted the largest point differential through the first 25 games of a season in NBA history \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n<p>(h\/t <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/keerthikau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@keerthikau<\/a>) <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eHqtmyBlu9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/eHqtmyBlu9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/YahooSports\/status\/1998955299181572545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>On top of that, their three main stars in <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gilgesh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/willija06.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Williams<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holmgch01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chet Holmgren<\/a> are growing together. In the win versus the Suns, they played at a very efficient level. That&#8217;s considering that they are also in their respective bigger runs.<\/p>\n<p>SGA dropped 28 efficient points, and Holmgren scored an easy 24. J-Dub, while he only scored 15 points, made five of his eight attempts and was brilliant on the floor. The Thunder bench was also stunning enough to cook up a 49-point win. That was also the worst loss that Phoenix has suffered all along.<\/p>\n<h3>The Path to OKC&#8217;s Win Record Mirrors the Warriors&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p>Back then, Golden State went for a 24-1 record. The Thunder did that after their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/12\/09\/okc-nba-cup-odds-2025\/\" target=\"_self\">quarterfinal win in the NBA Cup<\/a>. But that&#8217;s not all there is to compare. For starters, Golden State also came off a championship when they set the historic record. Curry was also coming off a promising MVP campaign, and so was SGA.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NBA RECORD-TYING 24-1 START.<\/p>\n<p>OKC RECORD-SETTING 16 STRAIGHT WINS.<\/p>\n<p>TRIP TO VEGAS BOOKED.<\/p>\n<p>THUNDER DOMINANCE CONTINUES. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UuTEfbuik6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/UuTEfbuik6<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7Pn00lObjF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/7Pn00lObjF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1998950640148689126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Now, they have emerging stars. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompkl01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Klay Thompson<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greendr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Draymond Green<\/a> didn&#8217;t become legitimate stars overnight. Now it seems that Chet and J-Dub are <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/11\/21\/chet-holmgren-unlocking-bigger-game-for-thunder\/\" target=\"_self\">starting to mirror that<\/a>. Moreover, this current Thunder team is getting more comparisons to the Dubs&#8217; dynasty than the previous era of OKC, which was led by <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/duranke01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kevin Durant<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westbru01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Westbrook<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hardeja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James Harden<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/12\/09\/okc-nba-cup-odds-2025\/\" target=\"_self\">bench depth was also similar<\/a>. We have seen how the Warriors can win games with their bench players back then, and OKC is doing it now. The all-time Thunder defense is also staggering. At this point everything falls the same as the Warriors did in 2016.<\/p>\n<h3>So, What&#8217;s the Concern for OKC?<\/h3>\n<p>Other than the fact that OKC is in a prime position to eclipse the all-time records set by Jordan&#8217;s Bulls and Curry&#8217;s Warriors, there&#8217;s really no concern needed for the defending champs. Moreover, it&#8217;s just that Oklahoma City following the pace of the 2016 Warriors may mean that they would also lose the incoming Finals.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">OKC are on pace to win 78 games&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>That&#39;s 5 more than the all-time record for wins in a season. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S1gnFQ7eHq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/S1gnFQ7eHq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PolymarketSport\/status\/1996119844853281077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>No OKC fan would want that. Luckily, this team has a strong mentality of playing the next man up, and always going back to zero. Overconfidence isn&#8217;t going to be an issue, and they&#8217;ve already learned the hard truth about being complacent in a game.<\/p>\n<p>So if there&#8217;s one thing concerning when it comes to the Thunder setting a historic record this season, it&#8217;s not for them. It&#8217;s for the rest of the league, as they will have to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/12\/okc-2025-offseason-other-moves-to-consider\/\" target=\"_self\">worry about OKC running the show<\/a> for years to come.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors came up with a title after a long rebuild. After that, they set off the best season in league history. They beat the 72-10 Chicago Bulls set by Michael Jordan&#8216;s squad, and went 73-9. However, it seems that another team is closing in on that feat just a decade later. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5536,"featured_media":169562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,22],"tags":[4292,1489,48],"class_list":["post-169501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-thunder","tag-chet-holmgren","tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","tag-stephen-curry"],"modified_by":"Zach Kircher","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169501"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169563,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169501\/revisions\/169563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}