The Oklahoma City Thunder have gone nearly a month without a loss, an active 11-game win streak has turned the impossible into a plausible — can they be the third team in NBA history to reach 70 wins?
In one of the greatest regular-season campaigns ever, the Thunder are putting the finishing touches before they shift their focus to title aspirations in the playoffs. They already broke OKC's record for most wins and the Seattle Supersonics' history, too.
They wrapped up the NBA's best cross-conference record at 29-1 after their double-digit win over the Detroit Pistons. Speaking of double-digit wins, they tied the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for most 10-plus point wins in a season at 50. Odds are, they'll sit atop that throne, too.
The Thunder are well on their way to having the best point differential and have a shot at the best net rating of all time. Now, what about 70 wins? What needs to happen? Well, finishing the season on a 17-game win streak. Cool. No biggie.
It's a Herculean-esque task but the Thunder have proved nothing is too daunting for them. After all, they've only had one two-game losing streak this season. In their last two seasons, they've only had one three-game losing streak. For comparison, the Cleveland Cavaliers — who are historic in their own right — are fresh off a four-game losing streak.
Looking at their last six games, the best chance to ruin that possibility is within the next three games. The Houston Rockets want to keep their spot as the second seed. They're a formidable foe and have already beaten the Thunder once earlier this season at home.
Then the much-anticipated two straight games against the Lakers will have everybody in the NBA world's attention. LeBron James and Luka Doncic are a superstar duo who want to prove to the Thunder they can beat them in a possible playoff series. Surely they'll play at least one of the two games.
But if they can survive this three-game gauntlet, the Thunder could cruise the rest of the way. They finish the season on a three-game road trip but that's against a KD-less Phoenix Suns and tanking Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans. They should win those three.
Nonetheless, whether Thunder fans want their squad to chase 70 wins, the team doesn't care about the achievement of joining the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors and 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Their focus is on the playoffs and a hopeful title run.
“It’s like anything else. We’ve been on this track for five years focusing on our process every day, focusing on our environment every day, focusing on improving, fundamentals, stacking games and possessions," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. "That’s yielded positive outcomes. The worst thing in my opinion that we can do in light of that is shift our focus to outcomes.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Will the OKC Thunder chase after 70 wins?
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