Can OKC Thunder Continue Road Dominance Next Season?

The Thunder have been among the NBA's elite at winning away from home.

May 22, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the second half during game three of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City is looking to continue its dominance from the past couple of years, and winning away from home consistently will be crucial.

Over the past couple of years, the Thunder have been the team to beat in the NBA. Earning the league’s best overall record in each of the past two seasons, the Thunder have seemed nearly unbeatable for stretches during the regular season.

Putting together lengthy winning streaks and being a title favorite throughout that span, Oklahoma City has been nothing short of dominant. While the Thunder’s ability to win in Oklahoma City with one of the best home-court advantages in the league has been well-documented, the Thunder’s dominance on the road has largely fallen under the radar.

Along with earning the league’s best record last season, the Thunder went an NBA-best 30-10 on the road last season. The only team to secure 30 road wins despite playing one fewer game than average on the road, the Thunder’s ability to win consistently never stopped when they left Paycom Center. 

As Oklahoma City looks to earn the league’s best record again next season, it will again need to rely on its ability to get wins away from home. With the end goal of securing home-court advantage for the postseason, taking care of business on the road is the path to getting those Game 7s in Paycom Center once again.

Fittingly, the Thunder will earn an opportunity to showcase their dominance on the road to begin the season. With a trip to San Antonio for opening night, a Thunder win could make a myriad of statements about what to expect for next season, including how Oklahoma City will still be a force to be reckoned with on the road. 

The Thunder are still obviously better when playing at home, having lost in Paycom Center only 17 times, including the playoffs, over the past two seasons. Yet, the Thunder’s ability to be the league’s best on the road can’t be taken lightly, given that those games make up half of the schedule.

While there doesn’t appear to be any threats to Oklahoma City in the West outside of the Spurs, the rest of the conference should still be quite competitive, giving the Thunder plenty of opportunities to secure quality wins in other buildings. Ultimately, the Thunder’s success next season will be measured by how they perform in the playoffs, but winning on the road in the regular season should put them in the best position for another title run.