The OKC Thunder didn’t break a sweat in their 145-117 win over the Chicago Bulls, the franchise that picked up two shock wins over the Los Angeles Lakers recently. This was their 28th win against the East this season, losing just one game to the opposite conference all season.
OKC’s 28-1 record solidifies a new NBA milestone for the best record against an opposing conference in NBA history.
Before OKC’s accomplishment, the record was a three-way tie between the 2016 Warriors, the 2007 Dallas Mavericks, and the 2000 Lakers. The only one of them to win a title the season they accomplished this feat were the Lakers, so this stat doesn’t prove anything about what the team can accomplish in the Playoffs.
The Thunder’s only loss to an Eastern Conference opponent came on January 8, 2025, when they lost a hard-fought battle against the East’s No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Outside of them, the Thunder have dispatched every team from the East that’s been put in front of them.
OKC’s last East opponent of the season will be the Detroit Pistons, giving them an opportunity to end the season with a 29-1 record against the East. The game will be on Tuesday, so it’ll be an interesting challenge, to say the least. This record might stand for years to come, given how incredible an accomplishment it is.
Their 35-11 record against Western teams is currently the best in the Conference, although the Lakers are pretty competitive on that front with a 31-13 record themselves.
The Thunder are tied with the legendary 1996 Chicago Bulls for net rating over the season, so this might be the most obvious championship contender we’ve seen in years. They could still end the season with 70 wins as well, a mark that hasn’t been reached since the Warriors did it in 2016.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making his MVP case unbeatable, with the award all but sealed up in his favor. Leading OKC with 32.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists averages in such an incredible season when he’s had co-stars like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein miss chunks of time over the year.
OKC is currently 63-12, having already sealed up the No. 1 seed in the West with a 14-game lead. This is their season to finally ascend to the championship. Even if they don’t, their young roster can only improve, and they have a massive set of future assets in their control to adjust the roster as they need.
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