Reviewing Five Teams With Multiple Regular-Season Wins Over 2024-25 OKC Thunder

The 2024-25 Oklahoma City Thunder accomplished one of the best regular seasons in NBA history. It won 68 games, tied for the fifth-most wins and sixth-highest winning percentage. It outscored opponents by 12.9 points per game, passing the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (+12.3) for the record point differential. It won 29 of 30 games against the Eastern Conference, only losing by seven points on Jan. 8 against the Cleveland Cavaliers — which was Cleveland's 11th straight victory.

Oklahoma City's 14 losses were to just eight unique opponents. Five Western Conference foes managed to take down the Thunder multiple times, including one that won three games.

Dallas Mavericks: Three wins, one loss

Why Dallas was successful: 3-point shooting

Naturally, the team with the most regular-season wins against the Thunder had eliminated the No. 1 seed from the 2024 playoffs. The Mavericks earned a 121-119 win in Oklahoma City on Nov. 17, 2024, won a shorthanded battle by eight points on Jan. 17 and rode its starters to a 121-115 victory on Jan. 23. All three wins came without superstar Luka Doncic.

Dallas racked up 56 3-pointers on 135 attempts (41.5%) across the four matchups, including Oklahoma City's 14-point NBA Cup quarterfinal win on Dec. 10, 2024. Kyrie Irving shot 13-for-27 (48.1%), Spencer Dinwiddie shot 10-for-22 (45.5%), P.J. Washington shot 7-for-13 (53.8%), Naji Marshall shot 5-for-10 (50.0%) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper shot 4-for-6 (66.7%).

The Mavericks roster has changed dramatically since its last clash against the Thunder. Nine days later, the franchise moved Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick. Irving suffered a torn left ACL on March 3 and will miss at least three months this season.

Dallas, which finished with 39 wins and a play-in loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, won the 2025 draft lottery with 1.8% odds. It selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg on June 25.

The Mavericks are the Thunder's most uncertain matchup going into 2025-26 play. It has extremely questionable guard depth but an extremely loaded frontcourt — perhaps the NBA's best.

Golden State Warriors: Two wins, one loss

Why Golden State was successful: Strong defense

The Warriors beat the Thunder by 11 points on Nov. 10, 2024, after big man Chet Holmgren suffered a right hip fracture five minutes into the game. Golden State also registered a 116-109 home victory on Jan. 29, despite MVP winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 52 points on 16-for-29 shooting and 18-for-21 free throws.

Golden State recorded a 110.0 defensive rating against Oklahoma City, which only the Orlando Magic (105.1) managed to beat. Stephen Curry (+19), Buddy Hield (+17), Draymond Green (+13) and Kevon Looney (+13) each tallied positive results in their on-court minutes. Curry played in both Warriors wins and did not play when the Thunder won, 105-101, on Nov. 27, 2024.

The Warriors did not play against the Thunder after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat for Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters III and a future first-round pick in a five-team deal on Feb. 6. Over the rest of the regular season, Golden State went 23-7 with Butler in the lineup. The forward averaged 17.9 points on 47.6% shooting, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds (2.3 offensive), 1.7 steals and accumulated a +188 plus-minus in those games.

Golden State will be a tougher opponent for Oklahoma City than it was when winning the 2024-25 season series.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Two wins, two losses

Why Minnesota was successful: Free-throw shooting

The eventual Western Conference finalist handed the Thunder multiple brutal losses around the All-Star break. Minnesota won, 116-101, on Feb. 13 — Oklahoma City's largest defeat of the whole season. Eleven days later, it overcame a 24-point fourth-quarter deficit, which was 16 with 3:41 left, to win by three in overtime.

The Timberwolves made a whopping 93 free throws on 101 attempts (92.1%), good for 13.2% above their No. 10 regular-season percentage. Anthony Edwards shot 29-for-35 (82.9%), Jaden McDaniels shot 17-for-18 (94.4%), Naz Reid made all 17, Terrence Shannon Jr. made all eight and Nickeil Alexander-Walker shot 7-for-8 (87.5%).

Minnesota's impressive depth and home crowd will continue to make regular-season matchups difficult for Oklahoma City.

Denver Nuggets: Two wins, two losses

Why Denver was successful: Nikola Jokic

The eventual Western Conference semifinalist erased a 16-point third-quarter deficit to hand the Thunder its first loss of the season on Nov. 6, 2024. Denver scorched the nets for a 140-127 victory in Oklahoma City on March 10.

As he was in the vast majority of games last season, Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the floor in both Thunder victories over the Nuggets. He recorded 28 points on 11-for-24 shooting, eight assists, seven rebounds (two offensive), three blocks and two steals in Oklahoma City's Oct. 24, 2024, season opener. He dropped 40 points, eight rebounds (two offensive), five assists and three blocks as the Thunder won by 24 points on March 9.

However, Denver superstar center Nikola Jokic, who finished No. 2 in MVP voting, made his presence felt during both Nuggets wins. He registered 23 points, 20 rebounds (seven offensive), 16 assists, two blocks and two steals in the November victory, and he tallied 35 points on 15-for-20 shooting, 18 rebounds (two offensive), eight assists, a block and a steal in the March victory.

The Nuggets overworked their roster this offseason. On July 8, they traded Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, who will slot in seamlessly as a starting forward. Denver added veterans Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown Jr. to fill out its bench. Rookie big man DaRon Holmes II, a 2024 first-rounder, will return from a torn right Achilles.

The Nuggets wield a truly formidable starting five and an improved bench, meaning they will be harder for the Thunder to beat in the regular season.

Houston Rockets: Two wins, three losses

Why Houston was successful: Offensive rebounding

The West's No. 2 seed displayed two defining wins over the Thunder last season, although it lost the season series from playing an extra neutral-site game for the NBA Cup. The Rockets won, 119-116, on Dec. 1, 2024, as Fred VanVleet racked up 38 points on 10-for-19 shooting (5-for-9 3-pointers). They beat Oklahoma City by 14 points on April 4, with Jalen Green (34) and Alperen Sengun (31) each putting up 30-point performances.

Houston accumulated 77 offensive rebounds across the five games, a full 34 more than Oklahoma City. Sengun (14), Jabari Smith Jr. (12), Amen Thompson (11) and former Thunder Steven Adams (10) all registered double-digits in that category.

The Rockets also loaded up impressively this offseason. Hours before Oklahoma City secured the 2025 championship, Houston agreed to trade Green, Dillon Brooks, 2025 No. 10 pick (Khaman Maluach) and five future second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for another former Thunder — Kevin Durant. It then acquired veterans Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Josh Okogie in free agency, and re-signed six players to new contracts.

The 52-win Rockets, 50-win Nuggets and 48-win Warriors beat the Thunder twice and look better on paper entering this season. The 49-win Timberwolves still maintain great quality, and the 39-win Mavericks have sky-high potential with everyone healthy.

In short, the West is not getting any easier.