OKC Thunder Set Highest Average Point Differential in NBA History

Dominance has been the name of the game for the Oklahoma City Thunder this regular season, winning game after game and breaking multiple records.

Another record can now be added to their belt, setting an NBA record for the best average point differential in league history.

That number landed a 12.9 average per game, jumping ahead of the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks and the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

OKC and that specific Lakers team are starting to find themselves in a similar realm with that Lakers squad that won an NBA title and featured players like Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Gail Goodrich.

To add more perspective to the Thunder's accomplishment this season, they averaged 120.5 points per game and allowed 107.6.

They scored the fourth most on average and allowed the third least.

OKC has long been viewed as one of the best teams in the league, signified by their one-seed in the Western Conference and best record in the NBA, but this is yet another statistic to add to that argument.

OKC's defense has arguably been the most impressive part of their game-to-game team performances.

With an abundance of players that can force turnovers and the same physicality and effort on a nightly basis, it's not a surprise that the Thunder don't let opponents score a lot of points.

They also force the most turnovers per game with 16.3 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the main man who leads the Thunder's scoring efforts, averaging 32.7 points per game.

Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Aaron Wiggins also help out in that department, but OKC's offense would not be nearly as good as it is right now without the potential MVP of the 2024-25 season.

All of these numbers are impressive and they highlight why they are one of, if not the best, team in the NBA.

That being said, arguably the most impressive of the numbers is how far ahead they are compared to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, the teams sitting at second and third in the average differential department.

The Cavaliers are second, with a +9.5 average and Boston is third with a +9.1.

It puts into perspective how consistent and efficient Oklahoma City has been during this regular season, especially compared to teams that are expected to compete with the Thunder.

Going even further, the Minnesota Timberwolves are fourth in the category with a plus-five average.

There is a reason OKC, Boston and Cleveland are viewed as constant title favorites this season.

This statistical category isn't the end-all be-all when it comes to picking a favorite to win an NBA championship, but it could go a long way when it comes to being consistent for a long period of time..

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