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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Hits Absurd Jumper to Keep 20-Point Games Streak Alive

That was a close call.
Blake Silverman|
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his 128th straight game with 20 or more points with a wild shot over Anthony Edwards
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his 128th straight game with 20 or more points with a wild shot over Anthony Edwards | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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Oklahoma City Thunder

Just one game after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander passed Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive games with 20 or more points in NBA history, he nearly snapped the long streak.

The Thunder beat the Timberwolves 116–103 to extend their current winning streak to eight games, but Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t record his 20th point of the night until the very end. With under two minutes left and Oklahoma City up 13, he drove on Wolves superstar Anthony Edwards and hit a smooth fadeaway jumper while absorbing contact and went to the free-throw line for one more.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 17 points before the play. He sunk the free throw to secure his 128th straight game with 20 or more points, then subbed out with the outcome decided.

Last season’s MVP and the current frontrunner was more of a facilitator than a scorer for OKC on Sunday. He dished out 10 assists in addition to the 20 points on a rough shooting day as he went 7-for-22 from the field. Gilgeous-Alexander took just five free throws against Minnesota, four below his season average of 9.2 free-throw attempts.

The record didn’t get much attention until it was bound to be broken. Chamberlain stood alone for more than 60 years after he had a streak of 126 straight 20-point games from 1961–63. SGA scored 35 points in a win over the Celtics on Thursday to officially claim the feat. Although it’s a bit of a niche honor, any Chamberlain record broken is worth noting due to how much he fills the NBA’s record book.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored close to 20 points numerous times this season, but the streak lives on

Last year’s NBA Finals MVP has scored 20 points on the nose three times this season after the win over Minnesota on Sunday. Still, though, he hasn’t scored less than 20 since the beginning of last season when he had 18 points in a win over the Spurs on a tough shooting day on Oct. 30, 2024.

Now that the streak is firmly on the radar, we’ll see if any opponents try to keep Gilgeous-Alexander under control enough to snap it at some point in the final 14 games of the season. Here’s a look at SGA’s five lowest scoring games this season:

Opponent

Date

Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring total

Minnesota Timberwolves

March 15, 2026

20

Orlando Magic

Feb. 3, 2026

20

Houston Rockets

Jan. 15, 2026

20

Charlotte Hornets

Jan. 5, 2026

21

San Antonio Spurs

Dec. 25, 2025

22

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Published | Modified
Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys and A10Talk. He graduated from Michigan State University before receiving a master's in sports journalism from St. Bonaventure University. Outside of work, he's probably binging the latest Netflix documentary, at a yoga studio or enjoying everything Detroit sports. A lifelong Michigander, he lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, young son and their personal petting zoo of two cats and a dog.

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