Sga closes in on Wilt Chamberlain’s 20-point streak standard after Warriors loss

As of Saturday night at 11: 18 p. m. ET, sga is now one game from matching Wilt Chamberlain’s 1963 NBA standard for consecutive 20-point performances, a benchmark that could fall the next time he reaches 20 again. The push tightened after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 in Oklahoma City’s 104-97 win over the Golden State Warriors at Paycom Center.

sga’s streak pressure shifts to the next game after 27 points

Gilgeous-Alexander entered the night with 124 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, sitting two games shy of Chamberlain’s record. With 27 points against Golden State, he ended the night just one game away from matching Chamberlain’s mark.

The immediate consequence for the Thunder is that each upcoming game now carries a clear, trackable milestone: a 20-point outing would pull Gilgeous-Alexander level with one of the league’s most durable scoring standards. The Warriors, meanwhile, leave Oklahoma City with the loss and with the feeling of having watched a record chase continue even in a tightly contested finish.

Golden State made Oklahoma City work late. The Warriors cut the deficit to 99-97 with two minutes left after Gui Santos finished a layup through contact. Yet Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the late separator, burying a 3-pointer off the dribble with 42 seconds remaining to push the Thunder lead to 102-97, a shot that essentially iced the game.

Kristaps Porzingis returns as Steve Kerr manages a shorthanded Warriors rotation

Golden State’s rotation constraints shape what comes next for the team on its road trip. After missing the previous six games with illness, Kristaps Porzingis returned and scored nine points in 22 minutes, a limited workload that still factored into a third-quarter push.

Steph Curry was ruled out with runner’s knee, and Moses Moody was ruled out with a right wrist injury. Will Richard was listed as questionable with an ankle injury and ultimately did not play. Even with those absences, the Warriors generated interior offense, scoring 42 points in the paint.

The Warriors trailed 34-28 after one quarter and 67-54 at halftime, then surged in the third. They cut the deficit to 75-70 after Porzingis passed out of a double team for a Brandin Podziemski 3-pointer, and later tied it 77-77 when Porzingis found Malevy Leons for another 3. Gui Santos scored 22 points, and Podziemski added 17 as Golden State repeatedly chipped away at the margin.

Next on the schedule, the Warriors (32-31) will finish their three-game road trip at Utah on Monday.

Paycom Center matchup shows depleted Thunder depth even in a 104-97 win

Oklahoma City’s win came with its own list of absences that will continue to shape how it navigates games while Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak remains under the spotlight. The Thunder were without All-Stars Chet Holmgren (flu) and Jalen Williams (hamstring), along with rotation players Alex Caruso (hip) and Isaiah Hartenstein (calf).

Even so, the Thunder maintained control for long stretches, carrying a 13-point halftime lead and repeatedly answering Warriors baskets. The game’s closing moments underscored where the Thunder’s offense turns in high-leverage possessions: Gilgeous-Alexander’s late 3 provided the separation after Golden State had pulled within two.

For the record chase itself, the math is now simple. Gilgeous-Alexander’s consecutive 20-point streak stands at 125 games, leaving him one game from matching Wilt Chamberlain’s 1963 standard.

The next turning point for the streak will be Gilgeous-Alexander’s next game: if he reaches 20 points again, he matches Chamberlain; if he falls short, the run ends at 125. For Golden State, the next confirmed step is Monday’s road game at Utah; if Curry remains out, the Warriors’ scoring load will continue to fall on players like Podziemski and Santos as the trip closes.