Jalen Williams, on Thunder winning: “Not going to name names, but we lost by 70”

Oklahoma City Thunder are on track to become the greatest team in NBA history – poised to surpass the 73 wins in 82 games set by the unforgettable 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, and to do so without looking back.

Their start to the season backs up the claim: 24 wins from their first 25 games, matching the pace set by the San Francisco dynasty a decade ago. In the early hours of Thursday night into Friday morning, at home against a collapsing Los Angeles Clippers team, Oklahoma City can finally step out of that shadow and fly freely toward glory.

It is a breathtaking pace built on an overwhelming offensive style. The Thunder have scored at least 100 points in every game this season and have topped 130 in each of their last three. They are winning by an average margin of 17.5 points.

They own the league’s fifth-best offensive rating at 120.5 points per 100 possessions and the best net rating in the NBA at +17.2, driven by a historic defense – the best in today’s league – allowing just 103.3 points per 100 possessions. The Houston Rockets rank second in that category at 111. The 73–9 Warriors posted a net rating of +10.6, which was not even the best that season: the San Antonio Spurs reached +11.1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander runs the operation. Supported by Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the Canadian guard won his first MVP last season – and, barring injury, looks set to claim a second this year. He is the league’s second-leading scorer at 32.6 points per game, despite playing only 11 of 24 fourth quarters so far. Only Luka Dončić, averaging 35 points, is ahead of him.

It is a scenario that would have been impossible to imagine just five years ago, when Oklahoma City embarked on a rebuild with no clear horizon after Chris Paul departed in the summer of 2020. In 2019, Russell Westbrook – the last remaining link to the 2012 Finals – had already said goodbye.

The Thunder then endured three straight seasons below .500. The first two were disastrous: a 22–50 record followed by a 24–58 collapse. It was a dark period marked by some painful losses – none more so than the 152–79 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies on December 2, 2021.

“Winning is never boring, because there was a time when players on this team were getting blown out,” said Jalen Williams after the victory over the Phoenix Suns that secured Oklahoma City a place in the NBA Cup semifinals. Their opponent is the San Antonio Spurs early Saturday into Sunday morning in a game that does not count toward the regular-season standings.

“Not going to name names, but we lost by 70. I think a lot of guys still have that in the back of their mind,” Williams continued. Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams were on the floor that night in Tennessee. Gilgeous-Alexander and Aaron Wiggins were on the roster but did not play – a game that still haunts the group.

“Even me my first year, we weren’t winning a ton. We were solid, but I have that in the back of my mind. You can’t get bored with the process,” added the guard, who arrived in 2022. In his rookie season, the Thunder closed out what remains their most recent losing year at 40–42, missing the playoffs. Since then, the trajectory has been relentlessly upward.

A steady but unstoppable rise. From the Western Conference semifinals after piling up 57 wins in 2023–24, to the first championship in franchise history last season with 68 regular-season victories. What comes next for Oklahoma City?

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