Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made NBA history Thursday night, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary streak while powering his team to a nail-biting 104-102 victory against the Boston Celtics at home.
The reigning league MVP extended his remarkable run to 127 straight games with at least 20 points, eclipsing Chamberlain’s 63-year-old NBA milestone. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the night with 35 points in the historic performance.
Boston entered the contest without key players, as Jayson Tatum was held out for injury management following his recent return from a 10-month layoff due to an Achilles injury. Derrick White also remained sidelined with a right knee injury.
Despite the absences, Jaylen Brown kept the Celtics competitive throughout the evening, contributing 34 points along with seven assists and six rebounds in the losing effort.
The game’s final moments delivered high drama as both superstars traded crucial baskets. Gilgeous-Alexander put Oklahoma City ahead with a clutch pull-up jumper with 29.6 seconds on the clock, only to see Brown answer back with a turnaround fadeaway that knotted the score at 102-102.
After Gilgeous-Alexander’s pass to Alex Caruso resulted in a missed corner three-pointer, Thunder center Chet Holmgren secured the offensive rebound and drew a foul from Sam Hauser while attempting the putback.
Holmgren calmly sank both free throws with just 0.8 seconds remaining, sealing the victory when Payton Pritchard’s desperation three-point attempt fell short at the final buzzer.
The Thunder’s star guard dominated the fourth quarter with 14 points and completed his historic night with nine assists, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Oklahoma City stretched their current winning streak to seven games, while Boston suffered their second consecutive loss following a strong 5-1 run.
The record-breaking moment came midway through the third quarter when Gilgeous-Alexander entered halftime with 17 points. After converting two free throws to move within one point of the milestone, he made history on the Thunder’s following possession with a 20-foot jumper over defender Baylor Scheierman, sending the home crowd into celebration.
