Shai Gilgeous-Alexander aims to eclipse Wilt Chamberlain’s 20-point streak Thursday
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On Thursday night, Oct. 16, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will try to score at least 20 points for the 127th consecutive regular-season game when the Thunder visit the Boston Celtics (9:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video). A 20-point effort would move the reigning MVP past Wilt Chamberlain and give him the longest such run in NBA history.
How the streak began
The record chase started on Nov. 1, 2024, when Gilgeous-Alexander logged 30 points in a 137-114 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Since that night, he has reached the 20-point mark in every regular-season appearance, tying Chamberlain’s 126-game standard that has stood for 63 years.
Unprecedented company
Before Gilgeous-Alexander, no player other than Chamberlain had ever topped 92 straight 20-point outings. Oscar Robertson’s 79-game run ranked third all-time, while Kevin Durant’s 72-game span is the only 21st-century streak that came even halfway to Chamberlain’s record. Among recent MVPs, the average longest streak is just 36 games.
Probability and performance
All-Star players have scored 20 or more in 71 percent of their games over the past two seasons; sustaining that production for 126 straight contests carries odds estimated at roughly one in 3.2 quintillion. Gilgeous-Alexander has defied those numbers by scoring 4,092 points during the streak with a remarkably balanced shot profile: each of five court zones—restricted area, paint, mid-range, three-point arc and free-throw line—accounts for between 16 percent and 25 percent of his total.
The 27-year-old has bolstered his range, shooting 39.3 percent from three since the 2025 All-Star break, and is converting a career-best 60.1 percent on two-pointers this season. Combined with a 90 percent free-throw rate, those marks have pushed his true-shooting percentage to 66.7 percent, second only to Stephen Curry’s 2015-16 figure (66.9 percent) among 30-point scorers.
Efficient and careful
Gilgeous-Alexander averages just 2.1 turnovers while posting 30 points per game, the fewest ever recorded for a 30-point scorer. He previously held the record at 2.2 giveaways in 2023-24.
Stacking big nights
Since the start of last season he leads the league with 86 games of at least 30 points, 18 games of 40 points (tied with Anthony Edwards) and five 50-point performances—more than any other player in that span.
Comparison with Chamberlain
Chamberlain averaged 49.2 points during his record stretch while playing 48.4 minutes per game; Gilgeous-Alexander averages 32.5 points in considerably lighter workloads, sometimes logging fewer than 30 minutes. When adjusted per 36 minutes, the gap narrows to 36.6 points for Chamberlain and 34.4 for the Thunder star.
Team success
Oklahoma City is 102-24 during the current streak, whereas Chamberlain’s Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors went 66-60 over his run.
Historic scoring run
Gilgeous-Alexander is on pace to average 30 or more points for the fourth consecutive season, a feat previously achieved only by Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Adrian Dantley. Of that group, only Gilgeous-Alexander and Jordan have sustained the average while also winning an NBA championship in the same span.
Outlook
Chamberlain’s streak ended after he was ejected four minutes into game 127; Gilgeous-Alexander has avoided similar incidents and has scored at least 26 points in each of his five games since returning from injury in late February. Whether the run continues or ends in Boston, matching any Chamberlain record places the Thunder guard in rare historical company.
Source: ESPN
