Inside The Thunder

Could OKC Thunder Push for 70 Wins?

Oklahoma City has a remarkable feat in arm's reach as the regular season winds down.

Derek Parker

Mar 25, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts after the Thunder made a basket against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Mar 25, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts after the Thunder made a basket against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have a truly remarkable achievement in reach as the 2024-25 NBA season draws to a close. Something only two other teams in the history of the league have achieved: a 70-win season.

The two other teams are some of the most famous, or rather infamous, in history: the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, and the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.

The Steph Curry-led Warriors won a mind-melting 73 games to just nine losses, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls finished just one shy of that. Oklahoma City won’t have a chance to overtake those records, but with a perfect finish to the season could become just the third team ever to make it to 70.

But achieving the feat certainly won’t be easy. OKC has done most of the leg-work already, owning a West-best 62-12 record presently. 

The team has just eight games remaining on the schedule, all of which it will need to hit 70 wins. They’ll face the Bulls today at 7 p.m. before moving on to the Pistons, Rockets, the Lakers twice in a row, as well as the Suns, Jazz and Pelicans. Luckily, only the Los Angeles to Phoenix jump is a back-to-back.

At full strength, the Thunder will be favored to win all eight, though the Western stretch is a tough one that will present a myriad of challenges. The biggest wall the Thunder face in winning out will be its final few games, which it will certainly rest players for in anticipation of the NBA Playoffs. Even still, OKC has proven themselves able to win games even down a soon-to-be MVP.

The team has also found a real groove, winning 16 of 17 games, and currently riding a nine-game win-streak behind a potent mix of both offense and defense. History says the Thunder are destined to lose at least a few games in the next handful, though it certainly seems more doable than it did weeks ago.

The achievement would only be a footnote to the Thunder staff and roster, who remain focused on bettering themselves for their ultimate goal in the postseason. But eclipsing 70 would be a final exclamation point on not just one of the best seasons in franchise history, but in league history. 

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Derek Parker
DEREK PARKER

Derek Parker covers the National Basketball Association and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020 and has experience working in print, video, and radio.

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