Inside the Numbers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander equals Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 20 consecutive points
Wilt Chamberlain has some NBA records that may never be touched, such as 100 points in a game, 4,000 points in a season, and averaging 50 points per game.
And that means when it gets caught, in any category, it’s a big deal.
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Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did just that, matching Chamberlain’s NBA record of 126 consecutive regular season games of 20 or more points. Gilgeous-Alexander got there Monday night, scoring 35 points (also a career-high 15 assists) in the Thunder’s 129-126 win over the Denver Nuggets.
“It’s crazy to think that where I was 10 years ago, I would be here today,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
It’s the latest accolade in a long list for Gilgeous-Alexander, who was MVP, NBA Finals MVP, league scoring champion and led the Thunder to the league title last season. He is also generally considered the favorite in this season’s MVP race.
He said he doesn’t try to focus much on the scoring streak.
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“It’s still a lot to understand,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “To be honest, I try not to even think about it, especially during the season. There’s so much going on, so many things have to go right for you to get what you want in the end, and that gets 100% of my attention, especially as it relates to basketball.”
Gilgeous-Alexander will have a chance to extend his hitting streak to 127 games on Thursday when the Thunder meet the Boston Celtics.
Inside the numbers
A look at some numbers when comparing the two series:
— Thunder’s record during Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak: 102-24.
— Warriors record during Chamberlain’s winning streak: 66-60.
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– Chamberlain’s highest scoring game during his streak was the NBA record 100 points for the then Philadelphia Warriors against New York on March 2, 1962.
– Gilgeous-Alexander’s highest scoring game during the streak was 55 points, against Indiana on October 23. (Chamberlain had 42 games of 55 points or more during his streak.)
— Gilgeous-Alexander had two games with exactly 20 points during his streak.
— Chamberlain’s low game during the streak was 23 points, an overtime loss to Boston. All 23 of these points were within the rules.
— Gilgeous-Alexander average during his streak: 32.5 points per game.
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— Chamberlain average during his streak: 49.2 points per game.
– Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting percentage during his streak: .535.
– Chamberlain’s shooting percentage during his streak: .511.
How Wilt ended
Chamberlain’s 126th and final consecutive game was on January 19, 1963 in St. Louis. He played all 48 minutes and finished with 35 points and 21 rebounds in the 116-114 loss to the Hawks.
The teams played again the next evening. Chamberlain didn’t stay long.
Referee Red Oates issued two technical fouls and ejected Chamberlain from the game after about four minutes, citing “abusive language” used by the superstar while protesting a foul called against teammate Wayne Hightower.
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Chamberlain finished with six points. His scoring average dropped from 47.0 per game to 46.2 in one evening.
He also faced a mandatory expulsion fine from the NBA. According to league rules, it had to be at least $50.
What would happen to Wilt next?
Chamberlain simply restarted his 20-point streak in San Francisco’s next game, January 22, 1963, against Detroit.
He wasn’t thrown out. In today’s NBA, he would.
Chamberlain threw several punches during a fourth-quarter melee that also saw some fans take to the floor at the Cow Palace. No fouls, personal or technical, were called following the fight.
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Chamberlain scored 39 points that night and scored at least 20 points in his next 20 games, so it stands to reason that he would have pushed the streak — had he not been ejected in St. Louis — to 147 games.
Chamberlain’s next sub-20-point game came on February 24, 1963, coincidentally again in St. Louis, and on a night in which he strangely missed some open shots — “at times refusing to shoot even though he was safe,” the Associated Press reported that night.
Chamberlain finished with 13 points in the 127-106 loss to the Hawks.
More series of 20 points
Chamberlain had five more consecutive streaks in which he scored 20 or more points in at least 30 games. He had streaks of 92, 62, 56, 47 and 30 games.
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Chamberlain’s streak of 92 consecutive 20-point games is the third longest in NBA history. Oscar Robertson had a streak of 79 consecutive games, while Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan each had 72 consecutive games. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hit a 70-game hitting streak, then added a 71-game hitting streak not long after.
Jordan had seven instances where he scored 20 points or more in at least 30 consecutive games. Chamberlain had six, Robertson five, while Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor and LeBron James each had four.
Regular season only
If both regular season and playoff games are taken into account, Chamberlain is still the only player with the longest 20-point streaks.
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The January 20, 1963 game snapped a streak of 141 consecutive 20-point games, including the playoffs. Chamberlain also played in 104 consecutive games that included postseason contests.
Robertson and Baylor both did it in 89 consecutive games while adding in the postseason, tied for the third-longest streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander had three games in which he failed to score 20 points during Oklahoma City’s playoff run to the NBA title last season. If you add playoff games, his current streak is “only” 63 games, the second longest of his career, following a 72-game streak interrupted during the 2025 postseason.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA