OKC Dominates Again; Can They Beat Golden State’s 73-Win Record?

• The Oklahoma City Thunder romped to a 138-89 win over Phoenix to advance to the NBA Cup semifinals.
• The Thunder are now 24-1, matching Golden State’s start in 2015-16.
• There are genuine thoughts that the Thunder can beat Golden State’s 73-win record from the same season.

Oklahoma City is chasing history after a blowout win over Phoenix to reach the NBA Cup semifinals. The Thunder are 24-1, tying Golden State’s start from 2015-16.

Golden State’s 73-win record could be in danger, and the odds are giving OKC a good shot at making history!

Defense Fuels Another OKC Rout

Once again, defense was the story as the Thunder destroyed Phoenix 138-89 on Wednesday.

The Thunder held the Suns to 39% shooting from the floor, and 32% from three-point land. They also forced 20 turnovers on the night. OKC tops the league in defensive rating, and their 7.4-point gap over second-place Houston is equal to the gap between the Rockets and 23^rd-place Chicago! The Thunder smother you for 48 minutes, and even their bench players are terrific on defense.

Offensively, OKC was wildly efficient, shooting 59% from the field, and 55% from beyond the arc. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points in 27 minutes, going 11-of-15 from the field. Six players had at least 11 points for the Thunder, who are massive favorites in the NBA Cup odds. They’ll play San Antonio in the semifinals on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Oklahoma City has a 24-1 record, which matches Golden State’s start in the 2015-16 season. The Warriors surpassed Chicago’s 72-win record from 1995-96. The bookies are giving the Thunder a solid chance to take Golden State’s record down.

Bookies Give Thunder a Fair Shot at Making History

Online betting sites are certainly giving the Thunder an opportunity to make history. BetUS has several props available for the Thunder, including:

• +300 to win 74+ games
• +500 to win 75+ games
• +800 to win 76+ games
• +1200 to win 77+ games

Those odds don’t seem like good value, but they absolutely are when you consider the context. The Bulls and the Warriors are the only two teams to have won 70+ games. The Thunder won 68 games last season en route to the NBA title, and look even better now. They set the NBA record for point differential per game in 2024-25 at +12.9 points. They’re operating at a +17.4-point differential this season.

The Thunder have a legitimate chance to get to 74 records, and more! It’s a long season, and they might have to contend with injuries. But they got off to their start with All-Star Jalen Williams on the sidelines with a wrist injury, as he has played just six games this season. It would be interesting to see how the Thunder would handle an injury to Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP who is second in the league in scoring.

But their defense is the one constant, even if the Thunder aren’t hitting their shots. Defense travels, and as long as they remain committed at that end of the floor, OKC can take a real run at history!