Just two games into the 2026 season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s long scoring streak came to an end. The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard scored 17 points in the team’s home opener Thursday, even as the Thunder held on for a 96-84 victory.
The performance broke an NBA record with a streak of 141 consecutive games where Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 or more points in a game. The regular season streak dates back almost two years ago, to October 30, 2024, when Gilgeous-Alexander scored 18 points in a win over the San Antonio Spurs.
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Gilgeous-Alexander was held to just two points in the first half, going 0 of 7 from the field. He stepped things up in the second half, finishing 6 of 19 on field goal shots.
For a moment, Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to be able to come back and preserve the streak: the two-time league MVP scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, capping it with a big 3-pointer.
But with the Thunder’s victory all but assured, Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with less than two minutes remaining, falling just short of the 20-point mark.
After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander said he planned to go back, but saw that the Nuggets had also cut their starters and decided he should honor that by not going back.
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“I feel like you always treat the game with respect,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, via Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire. “God willing, I still have a lot of games to start another streak, then.”
In March, Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak put him in the record books, as the guard passed Wilt Chamberlain for the longest 20-plus point streak in NBA history with his 127th game. Gilgeous-Alexander kept the streak going for the remainder of the regular season, despite some close calls, and scored 32 in the Thunder’s season opener on Tuesday.
Even though the streak is coming to an end, it has long been proof of Gilgeous-Alexander’s effectiveness as a scorer. Looking at the stats, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20 points before the fourth quarter in most of his games. That’s a streak that far surpasses any other active player — let alone leaves 15 games between him and Chamberlain’s mark.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 28, will have the opportunity to start a new streak on Sunday, when the Thunder host the Los Angeles Clippers.
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