By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander decided it was time for his record streak of 20-point games to end.
The Oklahoma City star’s run of 141 consecutive regular season contests with at least 20 points ended Thursday night when he subbed himself out toward the end of a game against the Denver Nuggets.
Gilgeous-Alexander had just hit a 3-pointer, pushing his total for the night to 17 points and giving the Thunder a 17-point lead when Denver called timeout with 1:43 remaining. Gilgeous-Alexander initially was going back onto the floor when play resumed, but as he walked onto the court he noticed that the Nuggets had subbed out their entire starting lineup.
The outcome of the game had been conceded, and realizing that, the two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player returned to the bench and knew the streak was ending. The Thunder won the game 96-84, improving to 2-0 for the season.
“I feel like you always treat the game with respect,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters in Oklahoma City after the game.
The 141-game streak — which started on Nov. 1, 2024 — topped the previous mark held by Wilt Chamberlain. He scored 20 or more points in 126 consecutive regular season games spanning from Oct. 19, 1961 through Jan. 19, 1963.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was willing to give Gilgeous-Alexander at least one more possession to try and hit the 20-point mark on Thursday. It was a difficult decision for Daigneault; in the NBA, when the outcome is decided and one team empties its bench, typically the other does as well.
“He’s got a historic streak going, which is a remarkable streak, obviously,” Daigneault said. “And I just think for the class that it shows and the perspective that it shows for him to say, ‘Hey, I’m out now. The game’s calling for me to be subbed out of the game.’ … Of all the things that I admire about him, that’s towards the top of the list in terms of moments that I appreciate about him. It shows tremendous class as a competitor.”
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.1 points per game during his record streak, and the Thunder went 116-25 in those 141 games.
He scored at least 30 points in 92 of those 141 games, reaching 40 points on 21 occasions and scoring 50 or more points five times. There were only six games where he finished with exactly 20 points.
Thursday’s game was a rare struggle for Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed all seven of his shots from the field in the first half and went into the break with just two points — his lowest first-half total since the streak started. He had 15 points after halftime, and another 3-pointer in the final 1:43 would have given him 20 points once again.
But Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander’s “competitive class” was proved by the star guard electing to call it a night.
“It’s a historic record,” Daigneault said. “It’s a little bit of a dilemma if you’re in my position. But he put me in a great position there. I would have left him. I was going to leave him.”
Gilgeous-Alexander will hold this record for some time.
The longest current run of consecutive 20-point regular season efforts is now held by Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard — who has done it each of his last 58 games. The next longest streak of 20-point games is held by Phoenix’s Devin Booker, who has 10 in a row.
“God willing, I have many more games to start another streak,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s not the end of the world.”
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