How Different Rest Days Impacted 2024-25 OKC Thunder's Performance

The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder begins its 2024-25 regular season against the reigning No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in five weeks. Oklahoma City will play 82 games between Oct. 21, 2025, and April 12, 2026, averaging a game every 2.12 days — slightly more forgiving than last season.

During the regular season, the 2024-25 Thunder achieved its highest winning percentage in games after one rest day, going 44-7 (86.3%) with a +14.8 average point differential.

Oklahoma City scored a season-high 146 points against the San Antonio Spurs on March 2. It allowed a season-low 83 points against the Phoenix Suns in an NBA Cup group-stage game on Nov. 13, 2024. Both games occurred following a one-day break.

The 2025-26 Thunder is scheduled to play 50 games with one day of rest, pending two more mid-December contests which depend on NBA Cup results.

Last season, Oklahoma City struggled most on back-to-back games, registering an 11-5 record (68.9%) with a +6.2 average point differential. Still, its winning percentage with zero rest days was higher than every other Western Conference team's overall record, as the Rockets went 52-30 (63.4%). The Thunder played at a 56-win pace without any rest.

The NBA gave the defending champion a more favorable schedule overall, expanding its regular season slightly due to Opening Night and providing just 13 back-to-back contests in six months.

MVP and Finals MVP winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a whopping 38.1 points on 66.7% true shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 11 appearances with two days of rest.

Gilgeous-Alexander's lowest numbers across the four splits: 31.3 points (three or more rest days), 5.5 assists (two rest days), 4.8 rebounds (one rest day), 47.6% field-goal shooting (zero rest days) and 36.1% 3-point shooting (one rest day).

All-NBA and All-Defensive member Jalen Williams averaged his most points (23.5), rebounds (5.9) and assists (5.6) on back-to-backs for the third straight season. He shot 106-for-196 (54.1%) on twos and 30-for-80 (37.5%) on threes throughout these games.

Big man Chet Holmgren averaged his most minutes (30.3), points (16.3) and assists (3.3) with zero days of rest. However, his plus-minus trended up when he received longer breaks.

The NBA postseason does not schedule back-to-backs, meaning the Thunder played 14 of 23 playoff games with one rest day. It racked up 11 wins, including series clinchers against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 26 and the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 28.

Oklahoma City played three home series openers after week-long breaks. It thumped Memphis by 51 points on April 20 but lost on last-second jumpers against the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, resulting in a sky-high point differential with a losing record.

The 2024-25 Thunder tallied positive winning percentages and point differentials across all imaginable situations, making rest a trivial variable in the process.