OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder has tied Wilt Chamberlain’s record by scoring at least 20 points in 126 consecutive games.
The reigning MVP hit a 3-pointer late in the third quarter Monday night against the Denver Nuggets to reach 22 points. He finished with 35 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining, to lift Oklahoma City to a 129-126 win.
While Gilgeous-Alexander said he’s focused on team accomplishments — the defending champion Thunder have the league’s best record at 51-15 — he took a few moments to reflect on sharing a record with Chamberlain.
“It’s still a lot to even wrap my head around it,” he said. “To be honest with you, I try not to even think about it, especially during the season. So much is going on. So many things have to go right.”
Chamberlain set the record from 1961 to 1963. He scored at least 20 points every game of the 1961-62 season for the Philadelphia Warriors, which included his famous 100-point game in 1962. Chamberlain’s streak ended on Jan. 20, 1963, when he only played four minutes for the San Francisco Warriors against the St. Louis Hawks.
Gilgeous-Alexander could break the record Thursday at home against the Boston Celtics.
“The name that he is up there with is Wilt,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before the game. “If you love this game, you should love the history of it. And for him and for Wilt, to talk about him again and again and again on his records — it just says a lot about Shai’s career, the consistency that he’s shown over the years.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has five games of at least 50 points during his streak, including a career-high 55 points against the Indiana Pacers early this season. He was last held under 20 when he scored 18 on Oct. 30, 2024 against San Antonio.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 17 points in the first half Monday. He brought the ball up the court in the closing seconds of the second quarter with a chance to tie the record. Instead, he passed to Isaiah Joe for a 3-pointer at the buzzer — one of his career-high 15 assists — to give the Thunder a 66-60 lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit two 3-pointers in the final 14 seconds to carry the Thunder to victory.
“Tremendous poise, confidence,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “It doesn’t change his mindset regardless of the circumstance. … It was an outstanding performance by him. Not only the last stretch, but the game control, the blend of attacking and passing. He put his team in advantages all night.”
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