Longest streak in the NBA: Takeaways on OKC Thunder win vs Chicago Bulls

“MVP! MVP! MVP!” was the chant showing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the OKC Thunder 116-102 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 40 points on 19 shots and 18 free throws, along with 12 assists, five rebounds, three blocks, and one steal in what was just another ordinary Thunder win where they played terrific on both ends of the floor, and, of course, SGA went off.

OKC Thunder gets an impressive win over the Chicago Bulls as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like an MVP candidate.

It was a magnificent performance for Gilgeous-Alexander, who increased his scoring average this season by 30 points while moving to the third spot on the all-time OKC Thunder list of highest-scoring players, behind franchise legends Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Since the Westbrook and Durant era, the OKC Thunder has not seen a potent duo on par with them until SGA and Chet Holmgren share the court this season. Holmgren tallied 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field, 13 rebounds, and four blocks to back up SGA in another impressive win.

Of course, it is still early for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren alongside Durant and Westbrook. Still, the early returns of their duo have already borne fruit, a solo second seed with an 11-4 record, as the OKC Thunder now ride on a six-game winning streak, the longest in the association so far, and the team’s most extended since 2018.

As the OKC Thunder sits on one of the top seeds in the Western Conference, the game versus the Bulls reveals some of the team’s most glaring strengths. Here are some takeaways: