Photo Credit: AP Photo/Nate Billings
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached another milestone Thursday night, though the Oklahoma City Thunder star insisted the result on the scoreboard mattered far more than the record beside his name.The All-Star guard scored 35 points and added nine assists as Oklahoma City held off the Boston Celtics 104-102, extending his streak of games with at least 20 points to 127.
The run breaks a record that had stood for more than six decades.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, however, the number that stands out most is the Thunder’s success during the stretch.
Oklahoma City has gone 103-24 over the course of the streak, a run that has helped cement the team among the league’s elite.
“The streak is the streak, the awards are the awards,” he said after the win. “But the thing I’m most proud of is winning.”
The record-setting moment came midway through the third quarter.
After knocking down two free throws to reach 19 points, Gilgeous-Alexander brought the crowd to its feet.
A quick pump fake created space, and he buried a jumper from just beyond the foul line to push his total past 20 and secure the milestone.
He admitted afterward that he was not tracking his exact total during the game.
Instead, the roar from the arena tipped him off that history was close.
Earlier in the night, the achievement had seemed uncertain.
Gilgeous-Alexander did not score until midway through the opening quarter, but he quickly found rhythm, finishing the period with 10 points before carrying 17 into halftime.
His steady production has been a major factor behind Oklahoma City’s rise.
Last season’s MVP and scoring champion is again near the top of the league’s scoring race, while the Thunder continue to hold one of the NBA’s best records.
The previous mark belonged to Wilt Chamberlain, who recorded 126 consecutive 20-point games between 1961 and 1963.
His streak famously included the 1962 game in which he scored 100
points.
Gilgeous-Alexander matched that total earlier this week and surpassed it Thursday, adding another chapter to a remarkable scoring run that shows no sign of slowing anytime soon either.