Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-Point Streak Ends at 141 Games: What It Means

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s NBA-record streak of 141 straight regular-season games with at least 20 points is over. The Oklahoma City Thunder star scored 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting in a 96-84 home win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, October 22, 2026. It was his first regular-season game under 20 since October 30, 2024, and the Thunder won it anyway.

Yes, the streak has ended. Gilgeous-Alexander’s run of 20-point games stopped at 141 on October 22, 2026, when he scored 17 in a 96-84 win over Denver. It is still the longest such streak in NBA history, 15 games longer than Wilt Chamberlain’s old record of 126.

How the streak ended

Denver made him work for everything. Gilgeous-Alexander missed every shot he took in the first half and only found a rhythm in the fourth quarter. The Gazette credited Christian Braun and Alpha Diallo for the defense that kept him in check.

The record did not die on a last-second miss. With the game decided, he checked out with under two minutes left, per Basketnews. He sat at 17 in a game his team was going to win.

It was an ugly night for both MVPs. Nikola Jokic shot 5 of 19, and the Thunder made just 11 of 43 threes. Oklahoma City won by 12 on defense.

PlayerTeamLine
Jalen WilliamsThunder21 points
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderThunder17 points, 6-of-19 FG
Chet HolmgrenThunder12 points, 17 rebounds
Aaron GordonNuggets20 points
Nikola JokicNuggets13 points, 5-of-19 FG
Thunder 96, Nuggets 84, October 22, 2026, in Oklahoma City.

Holmgren’s 12 and 17 was the quiet star turn, the kind of double-double that does not trend but wins games when the shots are not falling.

The streak by the numbers

DateMomentDetail
Oct. 30, 2024Last game under 20 before the run18 points vs. San Antonio
Nov. 1, 2024Streak beginsGame 1 of 141
March 9, 2026Ties Wilt Chamberlain at 12635 points and the winning 3 in a 129-126 win over Denver
March 12, 2026Breaks the record at 12735 points in a 104-102 win over Boston
Oct. 22, 2026Streak ends at 14117 points in a 96-84 win over Denver
Regular-season games only. As of October 23, 2026.

Chamberlain’s 126-game run started in 1961 and ended on January 20, 1963. It stood for more than 60 years. Gilgeous-Alexander tied it against the same Nuggets team that ended his streak, then broke it three days later against the Celtics, as the AP reported.

The volume was only half of it. Through the first 126 games of the run, he averaged 32.5 points on 53.5% shooting, and the Thunder went 102-24 with him in the lineup, according to NBA.com. That is the best player on the best team doing it every night.

Shooting 53.5% while taking that many shots is what makes 141 so hard to repeat. If you want to see how big the gap is between his normal night and a 6-of-19 night, plug both lines into our NBA efficiency calculator.

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Why the Thunder won’t mind

If the streak had to end, a 12-point win is the best way for it to happen. Oklahoma City is 2-0, with wins over the Spurs team that knocked it out of the West last spring and a Denver team that will be in the race all year.

This also was not the start of a slump. Gilgeous-Alexander opened the season with 32 points in a 116-104 win at San Antonio on Tuesday. One off night against a good defense, in a game where he sat the final minutes, says more about the Nuggets’ game plan than about him.

Our take: losing the streak may even help. There is no number to chase now in the fourth quarter of a blowout, and a two-time reigning MVP chasing a third straight award can rest when games are decided. You can test how much one cold night really changes a matchup with our NBA win predictor.

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Can anyone get to 141?

Not soon. The streak counted regular-season games only and took nearly two full seasons to build. Anyone chasing it needs elite scoring, steady health and no early nights in blowouts. Chamberlain’s mark lasted six decades, and this one could too.

Keep learning

FAQ

How long was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-point streak?

It lasted 141 straight regular-season games, starting November 1, 2024. It ended on October 22, 2026, when he scored 17 points against Denver.

Whose record did Gilgeous-Alexander break?

Wilt Chamberlain’s. Chamberlain scored 20 or more in 126 straight games from 1961 to 1963. Gilgeous-Alexander passed him with his 127th straight game on March 12, 2026, against Boston.

Did the Thunder lose the game that ended the streak?

No. Oklahoma City beat the Nuggets 96-84 to move to 2-0. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 21 points.

Sources