How OKC's Team Chemistry has Fueled the Thunder's 15-Game Win Streak

Oklahoma City has built a strong culture over the past few seasons and is benefitting from the team's chemistry in the midst of a 30-5 start to the 2024-25 campaign.

Jan 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots a three point basket against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

While Oklahoma City's matchup with Boston may not have been at the forefront of the sports world on Sunday, Jan. 5, the Thunder's win against the Celtics sent ripples through the NBA community.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign received a massive bump, and Oklahoma City is seen as a serious championship contender by nearly all national observers. OKC's win against Boston marked the Thunder's 15th consecutive regular season victory and moved Mark Daigneault's team to 30-5 on the year.

Despite having high expectations after a strong 2023-24 campaign and an even better start to the 2024-25 season, Oklahoma City's young roster is still managing to enjoy its success.

"(We're) out there having fun," Lu Dort told NBA TV after the Thunder's win against the Celtics. "We're always happy for one another. Any time anyone does something well, we're always out there cheering for them. We've been building this chemistry (through) the years and, you know, we're clicking right now."

Since starting the team's overhaul during the 2019-20 season, OKC has managed to build a strong culture among its new roster. This culture has helped build a strong chemistry within Oklahoma City's locker room, which is evident in the team's play style.

The Thunder share the ball well on offense, give maximum effort on defense and remain in a group to do postgame interviews. Additionally, whichever players are occupying Mark Daigneault's bench always seem engaged and supportive of their teammates, rather than complaining about minute counts or playing time.

In a recent contest against the Knicks, Aaron Wiggins knocked down a big 3-pointer that led to a New York timeout. As Wiggins was coming off the court, a handful of his teammates walked onto the court to greet the role player in excitement.

Watch them celebrate Wiggins pic.twitter.com/q38shaRlrr

— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) January 4, 2025

With a deep roster that is led by an MVP candidate, a good coaching unit and solid team chemistry, the Oklahoma City Thunder have shown that they are premier finals contenders this season.

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