With a dominant 24-1 begin, the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have positioned themselves squarely within the historic dialog reserved for the best regular-season groups the NBA has ever seen. They’ve now matched the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the perfect 25-game begin in league historical past — and their underlying metrics counsel they may be even stronger than final 12 months’s championship group.
The Thunder tied Golden State’s report Wednesday night time by routing the Phoenix Suns, 138-89, within the NBA Cup quarterfinals, an emphatic assertion win that prolonged their streak of double-digit victories and continued a statistical profile not like something the league has seen by 25 video games. Golden State in the end opened 24-0 earlier than dropping recreation 25 within the 2015-16 season, and went on to win 29 of their first 30 and 36 of their first 38 on their strategy to a 73-win marketing campaign.
Oklahoma Metropolis is now on related footing — and in some methods forward of it.
A Traditionally Giant Scoring Margin
The Thunder broke the NBA’s all-time level differential report final season at +12.9 per recreation. Via 25 video games this season, they’ve shattered even that tempo.
Their 49-point win over Phoenix pushed their scoring margin to +17.5 per recreation, the biggest by 25 video games in league historical past. Solely the 2007-08 Boston Celtics come shut at this checkpoint (+13.9). Oklahoma Metropolis already has 17 wins by double digits, tying the second-most ever by 25 video games, and is now the primary franchise to report at the very least 17 in back-to-back seasons.
The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have outscored its opponents by 437 factors this season. That’s 90 factors greater than any workforce has ever outscored its opponents by the primary 25 video games of a season. OKC is in a completely completely different stratosphere now and traditionally to this point.
h/t @bball_ref pic.twitter.com/zwatE0pwHj
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) December 11, 2025
Dominance has change into routine. Chris Youngblood’s 3-pointer with 5:25 remaining in opposition to Phoenix gave the Thunder a 50-point lead, the primary such margin in an NBA recreation this season. They’d lengthen it to 53. Final season’s regular-season excessive was 44.
These should not remoted outbursts — they’re defining options of a workforce burying opponents as a matter of nightly operation.
How the Thunder Evaluate to Historical past
Solely three groups in NBA historical past have reached this stage by 25 video games:
– 2025-26 Thunder: 24-1– 2015-16 Warriors: 24-1– 1995-96 Bulls: 23-2
The Warriors’ 73 wins stay the single-season report. Chicago’s 72 wins in 1995-96 stood for 20 years earlier than Golden State broke it. Each groups showcased relentless consistency, early however confronted pure pullbacks over the season’s second half.
These historic traits are essential. The 1996 Bulls started 41-3 however misplaced seven video games of their ultimate 41. The 2016 Warriors began 24-0, then completed the 12 months 49-9. Even juggernauts sluggish — whether or not from attrition, pacing choices, or prioritizing postseason well being.
That context has stored some analysts cautious. The second half of a season sometimes delivers extra losses, more durable street swings, and choices from contenders to prioritize playoffs over data. Golden State is remembered as a lot for his or her NBA Finals collapse as their 73 wins, a cautionary story Oklahoma Metropolis’s management won’t ignore.
Why This Thunder Crew May Break the Report
The case for Oklahoma Metropolis is obvious: few defending champions have returned trying deeper, more healthy and extra explosive.
Final season, the Thunder completed 68-14 regardless of Chet Holmgren lacking 50 video games and Jalen Williams showing in solely 5. They nonetheless went 42-8 with out Holmgren, a testomony to roster infrastructure and training.
This season, Holmgren is wholesome, Williams is predicted to ramp up because the 12 months progresses, and the rotation is stacked with scoring and defensive versatility. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is once more enjoying at that stage whereas main a top-three offense and the league’s finest protection. Oklahoma Metropolis presently has seven gamers averaging 12+ factors, and the bench — with contributors comparable to Ajay Mitchell — is deeper than final 12 months’s championship unit.
Sportsbooks have responded accordingly. BetMGM lists the Thunder at +150 to win the title — the league’s finest odds — and provides them a 58 % implied likelihood of successful 70 or extra video games with an over/below of 69.5 wins. FanDuel is providing +360 on 74+ wins and +580 on 75+ wins.
The schedule additionally gives alternative. Oklahoma Metropolis has simply 13 back-to-backs, tied for the fewest within the league, and has already weathered damage absences with just one loss. They’ve upcoming multi-city street swings, together with a difficult February slate (Minnesota, Denver, San Antonio, Lakers), however their depth makes them unusually resilient.
Why the Report Nonetheless Might Not Fall
Even because the Thunder chase historical past, precedent warns in opposition to assuming something. Groups this dominant usually face diminishing returns later within the season — a mixture of relaxation choices, scouting changes, schedule compression and long-term considering.
Simply final season, the Cleveland Cavaliers began 15-0 and got here up quick. Different dominant groups apart from that well-known 2015-16 Warriors workforce to not win a title embrace the 1972-73 Boston Celtics (68-14) and two 67-15 groups: the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs and 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks. OKC is aware of lots about these workforce’s plights and appears to keep away from an analogous season conclusion.
Oklahoma Metropolis performed 23 playoff video games final spring to win the championship, including important mileage. They might discover themselves able to safe the No. 1 seed early, creating much more incentive to relaxation stars reasonably than pursue a report that historical past suggests doesn’t correlate with postseason success.
This Thunder workforce is sweet sufficient to succeed in 70 wins — probably even 73 or 74 — however their aspirations hinge on one other trophy, not a regular-season milestone.
Nonetheless, by 25 video games, the maths is plain. If any workforce since Golden State is supplied to interrupt the NBA’s most towering report, it’s this one.
