OKC Thunder Start 22-5 For First Time Since 2013-14 Season

Oklahoma City has secured one of the best starts in franchise history thanks to sweeping a road back-to-back against the Magic and Heat.

Mar 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic by six points and the Miami Heat by seven points on consecutive days, obtaining 22 wins through one-third of the regular season. The Thunder have won 22 of its first 27 games for the first time in 11 years — inspiring a comparison between two of the best teams in franchise history.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has solidified himself as an MVP contender this season by averaging 30.3 points per game on 61.9% true shooting, 6.2 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 2.0 steals per game. His league-leading +301 total plus-minus and +13.1 net rating swing per 100 possessions justify his two-way impact, especially on the offensive end. The Oklahoma City offense relies on Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring volume and advantage creation for consistent production, as the two-time All-Star often generates quality looks for himself and his teammates while handling the ball.

The Thunder possessed another scoring superstar a decade ago — one who eventually won the 2013-14 MVP. Kevin Durant started that season relatively lenient for his standards, recording 13 30-point games and one 40-point game in his first 27 games, before erupting for 34 more 30-pieces, 13 more 40-pointers and two games with over 50 points by the year's end. He scored 54 points on 28 shots against the Warriors in January 2014 and 51 points on 32 shots to lead an overtime win in Toronto two months later. Durant averaged 32.0 points per game on 63.5% true shooting, 7.4 rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game on a 59-win squad to bring home his only career MVP.

Both teams benefited from top-end talent and lost similarly to begin their seasons. The current Thunder has lost four single-digit games and one double-digit game, an exact match to its 11-year-old counterpart. Chet Holmgren suffered a hip fracture five minutes into a Nov. 10 home contest against the Golden State Warriors, which Golden State led by as much as 30 points late in the third quarter before winning 127-116. The 2013-14 Thunder suffered a 19-point road blowout against the Timberwolves in its second game of the season due to shooting 7-for-31 (22.6%) on 3-pointers and committing five more turnovers. Newcomer Jeremy Lamb led Oklahoma City scorers with 16 points, with only Durant joining him in double digits.

The 2024-25 Thunder has accumulated a better point differential than the 2013-14 team by over four and a half points per game, boosting its claim to being Oklahoma City's best regular-season team since the franchise moved in 2008. The most significant difference between the two has been turnover differential, as the current Thunder forces the most and commits the fewest among all 30 teams.

Statistic (First 27 Games)	2013-14 Thunder	2024-25 Thunder
Point Differential	+7.1 PPG	+11.7 PPG
2P% Differential	+5.4%	+4.4%
3P% Differential	+0.6%	+2.3%
TOV Differential	-34	+194
ORB Differential	-11	-63
FTA Differential	+5	-152

The 2013-14 Thunder were a half-game behind the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 22, 2013, as Portland won 23 of its first 28 games before finishing the season 54-28. Oklahoma City also played at a more moderate pace despite Durant's scoring ascension, winning 32 and losing 18 games to secure the Western Conference's No. 2 seed — three games behind the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Net rating remains a strong indicator of team quality, so the 2024-25 Thunder (+11.7) are on the right track to surpass the 2013-14 Thunder (+6.6) in regular-season success. Fifty-five games remain to reveal the truth.

Oklahoma City returns home to play the Washington Wizards this Monday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. CST.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.