Thunder Set Franchise Record with 15th Straight Win, Defeat Celtics 105-92

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics 105-92 on Sunday, securing their franchise-record 15th consecutive win. The Thunder, now 30-5, have not lost a regular-season game since Dec. 1, surpassing the previous record set by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996.

The Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum‘s 26 points and 10 rebounds, struggled in the second half, scoring a season-low 27 points. Jaylen Brown added 21 points but went scoreless in the second half, missing all seven of his shots. The Thunder’s defense clamped down after halftime, holding Boston to just 37% shooting from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander set the tone early, scoring nine points in the first 3 1/2 minutes to give Oklahoma City an early lead. Despite trailing 65-55 at halftime, the Thunder rallied in the second half, outscoring Boston 50-27. Lu Dort‘s back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter sealed the victory, putting the Thunder up 100-88 with under two minutes remaining.

“Our defense was the key tonight,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “We knew we had to step up in the second half, and the guys executed perfectly.”

The Celtics, who shot just 20.5% on open 3-pointers, struggled to find their rhythm. Tatum, who averages 14.8 points created by assists per game, saw that number drop to two as his teammates failed to convert on his passes. Boston’s bench was also outplayed, with Aaron Wiggins scoring more field goals (six) than the Celtics’ entire bench unit (five).

With the win, the Thunder solidified their position as one of the NBA’s top teams this season. The Celtics, meanwhile, will look to rebound as they continue a challenging road trip, facing the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and the Sacramento Kings on Friday.