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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaks insane Wilt Chamberlain record
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammate pour water on him at the end of a game against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander breaks insane Wilt Chamberlain record against Celtics

The Oklahoma City Thunder possess the best record in the NBA and are primed to make another run at a second consecutive title this season, largely due to the consistent and historic play from guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As much as the league MVP and Finals MVP from last season has accomplished so far in his career, Thursday night's milestone may be his most impressive yet in a game the Thunder (52-15) won, 104-102.

Entering the matchup with the Boston Celtics (43-23), Gilgeous-Alexander was tied with Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive 20-point games in the regular season in league history (126). That record now belongs exclusively to the Thunder star, and it barely took half the game to set the new mark.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander surpasses Wilt Chamberlain for most consecutive 20-point games in the regular season

With this two-point shot to tie the game at 69 five minutes into the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander officially broke the 63-year-old record dating back to Chamberlain's run from 1961-63. He finished the game with 35 points (13-of-18 FG).

You have to go all the way back to a Nov. 1, 2024 game — a 137-114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers — to find when Gilgeous-Alexander's historic stretch started. Well over one year later and with multiple accolades to his credit since, he now finds himself in possession of a league record that seemed impossible to break.

To be fair, he was held to less than 20 points in three playoff games last season. However, there appears to be no sign of the current regular-season streak coming to an end anytime soon.

He is averaging the second-most points per game this season (31.8 PPG), along with 4.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and is shooting an impressive 55.4 percent from the floor. Not only is he versatile on both ends of the floor, but Gilgeous-Alexander is remarkably consistent when the ball is in his hands.

Unlike most players in the league who are usually dominant in one or two areas, his production is spread out at multiple spots on the floor. In addition to his overall field-goal efficiency, Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 38.3% from three-point range and 89.5% from the charity stripe, which is good for ninth in the entire league.

The fact that the Thunder star even came close to Chamberlain's record speaks volumes to begin with. After all, the second-longest 20-point streak behind Chamberlain's 126 also belonged to the Hall of Famer (92), followed by Oscar Robertson's 79. 

How does Gilgeous-Alexander's historic pace compare to fellow 21st-century MVPs? It is not even close as Kevin Durant went 72 straight games and the late Kobe Bryant reached 63 before his streak ended. As for active 20-point games consecutively, that belongs to Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (42).

Chamberlain still has the record for the longest streak of scoring 30 points (65 games), 40 points (14 games), 50 points (seven games) and 60 points (four games), but the consecutive 20-point games record no longer belongs to him after Thursday.

Oklahoma City is now a ridiculous 103-24 during Gilgeous-Alexander's historic streak. As impressive as that win was against one of the top teams in the league, that was not the most eye-popping development that came out of the win.

That belongs to Gilgeous-Alexander, who continues to amaze and put his name in the history books with remarkable achievements.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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