The reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, continued their remarkable dominance of the 2025–26 season on Friday night, securing their 14th consecutive victory with an emphatic 132–111 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The triumph pushed Oklahoma City to a stunning 22–1 record, placing them among the fastest-starting teams in league history.
Friday’s performance further cemented the Thunder’s reputation as the most complete and dangerous team in basketball. Behind an MVP-caliber outing from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City extended its blistering early-season pace, drawing comparisons to the legendary 2015–16 Golden State Warriors, who famously opened their campaign with a 24–0 run.
SGA Leads the Charge as Thunder Cruise Again
Current NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again showcased why he is widely considered one of the league’s premier two-way talents. The superstar guard poured in 33 points, dictating tempo and effortlessly breaking down the Dallas defense.
Supporting him were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, each finishing with 15 points, contributing to a Thunder offense that was firing from all angles. Oklahoma City stormed out to a double-digit lead early, ballooning their advantage to 30 points by the end of the third quarter.
With the game firmly in hand, head coach Mark Daigneault opted to rest his starters for the entire fourth quarter, giving valuable minutes to the bench and avoiding unnecessary injury risks.
Dallas, meanwhile, saw their three-game winning streak come to a screeching halt. Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 23 points off the bench, but it was not nearly enough to stop a Thunder team operating at peak efficiency.
Injury Concerns Shadow Mavericks’ Night
The Mavericks faced an additional setback when star big man Anthony Davis — who joined Dallas in a major offseason move — struggled immensely. Davis scored only two points, both coming in the final four minutes during garbage time.
The bigger concern came earlier in the game when Davis exited in the third quarter after appearing to injure his left knee. He briefly sat on the bench with heavy wrapping before returning in the closing minutes, though his movement remained limited. Dallas will await medical evaluations to determine the severity of the injury.
Celtics Dominate Undermanned Lakers
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Boston Celtics rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers with a decisive 126–105 win. Jaylen Brown torched the Lakers with 30 points, while Boston controlled the game from the opening tip.
The matchup lost much of its buildup hype due to key absences. LeBron James missed the game with a combination of sciatica-related issues and chronic foot arthritis, sidelining him for the second straight contest.
The Lakers were also without Luka Dončić, who missed his second consecutive game due to personal reasons. While Austin Reaves stepped up with a career-high 36 points, the Lakers never held a lead and trailed by as many as 29.
Nuggets Storm Back Behind Jokic’s Second-Half Explosion
In Atlanta, Nikola Jokic delivered another unforgettable performance, scoring 40 points, including 30 in the second half, to spark a dramatic comeback as the Denver Nuggets edged the Hawks 134–133.
Hawks forward Jalen Johnson made history of his own, recording a triple-double by halftime with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. He finished the night with 21 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists — a remarkable stat line overshadowed only by Jokic’s superhuman rally.
The Nuggets, once down by 23 points, erupted for 80 points in the second half to complete the comeback. Jamal Murray added 23 points and delivered a critical block in the final seconds, sealing Denver’s ninth straight road victory.
Magic Hold Off Heat in Nail-Biter
In Orlando, the Magic squeaked by the Miami Heat in a thrilling 106–105 win. Franz Wagner led with 32 points, while Jalen Suggs added 22.
Miami nearly erased a double-digit deficit, pulling within one point on Norman Powell’s layup with under a minute left. The Heat had multiple opportunities to take the lead, but Powell missed a fadeaway jumper, an inbound violation forced Miami to burn their final timeout, and Bam Adebayo’s potential game-winning three-pointer fell short at the buzzer.
Kevin Durant Reaches 31,000 Career Points
The night also belonged to Kevin Durant, who reached an elite scoring milestone. The Houston Rockets star became only the eighth player in NBA history to surpass 31,000 career points during Houston’s 117–98 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Playing against his former team for the first time since July’s blockbuster trade, Durant needed just four points to reach the milestone. He achieved it with a smooth midrange jumper in the first quarter. Durant finished with 28 points, while teammate Amen Thompson delivered a season-high 31.
Durant, now firmly among the all-time great scorers, reflected with gratitude:
“I’m just thankful to be able to live my dream every day. So many people believed in me along the way. I just want to keep going.”
Knicks Start With a 23–0 Run, Crush Jazz
At Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks exploded out of the gates with a stunning 23–0 run, never looking back in a 146–112 rout of the Utah Jazz. The emphatic win sent the MSG crowd into a frenzy and highlighted the Knicks’ emerging offensive firepower.
ALSO READ :
