NBA: Oklahoma overpower Suns and tie the record start with 24 wins and 1 loss

We knew the moment Oklahoma won the title last June that we were witnessing the birth of a new NBA dynasty. The Thunder had everything they needed to keep winning — and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

This season, after 25 games, they have only one loss. Hats off — and all the way to the floor — to Portland, the only team that managed to outplay Mark Daigneault’s squad. No one else has done it, not even the Phoenix Suns, whom Oklahoma humiliated in the NBA Cup quarterfinals with a 138–89 blowout, tying the Golden State Warriors’ record from the 2015/2016 season, when they also started 24–1.

There are no excuses for such a massive margin, but it must be said that the Suns came into this game without Devin Booker and Jalen Williams, their two best players. The Thunder accepted that gift with open arms and absolutely dismantled their opponent.

Everything went their way, and more importantly, everything started from great defense. OKC ran wild in transition, and their three-point shooting was exceptional as well (22/40 from deep). The reigning champions didn’t even give Phoenix a chance to believe a miracle was possible — the game was practically decided after two and a half quarters. In the final period, both coaches sent in their reserves, and instead of OKC’s lead shrinking, it grew — all the way to +53. Yes, you read that right.

Oklahoma’s third unit was highly motivated to show what they can do, and the best performers were Branden Carlson and Ousmane Dieng, who each scored 11 points in those 12 minutes. Chris Youngblood also got his chance. Naturally, the top scorer was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 28 points (3/3 free throws), marking his 96th straight game with at least 20 points.

Chet Holmgren added 24, Jalen Williams had 15 as he slowly gets back into rhythm, and Luguentz Dort finished with 12 points. On the other side, Dillon Brooks scored 16 — the only one who showed any kind of energy — while Jordan Goodwin added 15. What is especially interesting is the fact that Nigel Hayes-Davis played only the final 12 minutes of the game, essentially as a member of the third unit.

That wouldn’t be strange if we weren’t talking about a player who, just seven months ago in Abu Dhabi, won the EuroLeague Final Four MVP award and lifted the trophy with Fenerbahce, also winning the Turkish Cup and League titles.

It’s a short road from being an MVP to being the 15th man in Phoenix. It’s not unrealistic that he may decide to return to Europe, where everyone knows how good he is and what he can do. In the NBA, he’s just the guy wearing number 21 who checks into the game when his team is losing by 50.