Thunder break NBA record for total points in a season, including playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A record for Oklahoma City: No team in NBA history has scored more points in a season than the Thunder.

It's a nuanced record, taking into account both regular season and playoff games. And technically, the Thunder would have broken the record on Wednesday if their appearance in the NBA Cup championship game — which is considered an exhibition — counted in any league totals.

But now, no matter how one counts, it belongs to the Thunder. They came into Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers needing 68 points for the record and got it on a free throw by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 6:09 left in the third quarter on Friday night.

That gave the Thunder 12,162 for the season, breaking the mark of 12,161 scored by the Golden State Warriors in 104 games during the 2018-19 season. Friday's game was the 102nd official contest for the Thunder this season. (They scored 81 points in the NBA Cup championship game loss to Milwaukee in December, a point total and outcome that doesn't factor into any season stats.)

The total-points record is the latest entry on a history-making season for the Thunder, who set a franchise record with 68 regular-season wins and — if they win the NBA title — would become the fourth team in league history to post at least 84 victories in a full season. Only Golden State (88 wins in 2015-16), Chicago (87 in 1995-96) and the Bulls again (84 in 1996-97) have reached 84 wins in a season.

“I think there’s just a lot of integrity to the team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said when asked how the team doesn't seem fazed by its numbers. “I think that starts with the makeup that these guys have. Great psychological makeup, competitive makeup, personal makeup. Then over time we’ve had to really kind of forge into this version of ourselves, in visible spaces.”

The total-points mark is obviously fueled by longevity of the season. The Thunder were only fourth in points per game during the regular season behind Cleveland, Memphis and Denver, and when adding in playoffs Oklahoma City's scoring average this season was only 27th in NBA history.

That said, no matter how the finals end, it has been a season that will be in the Thunder record books for a long time. In addition to the scoring, the Thunder are currently second all-time in average point differential per game (12.2 entering Friday) behind only the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks.

It helps illustrate how big a turnaround the Thunder have enjoyed after going 22-50 in the 2020-21 season, then 24-58 a year later and 40-42 the year after that.

“We haven’t relied on anything outside the outcomes,” Daigneault said. “The noise, we haven’t relied on that when we weren’t winning. We haven’t relied on that while we were building. We haven’t relied on that while we were rising. We’re not relying on that now that we’re in a different position.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) motions after making a three pointer against the Indiana Pacers during the second half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) dunks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) drives on Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

VAL GARDENA, Italy (AP) — Marco Odermatt found moments of clarity on a foggy day in the Italian Dolomites to race to victory in a World Cup downhill on Thursday.

A 50th career World Cup win for the Swiss generational talent — matching Italian slalom great Alberto Tomba on the all-time men's list — came 50 days before the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics where Odermatt shapes to be a star.

“It’s a crazy number," Odermatt said. “I had an incredible season start with a fifth victory already. But I’m not a guy who looks too far ahead.”

Odermatt rode the bumps and rolls on a shortened version of the Saslong course to finish 0.15 seconds faster than Franjo von Allmen, the reigning world champion. Italian veteran Dominik Paris was third, trailing by 0.19.

Sunshine lit the bottom half of the course where Odermatt, wearing bib No. 14, was decisively fast to win a race that started 75 minutes late because of fog shrouding the top of the course.

There was a short delay for fog minutes after No. 6 starter Von Allmen set the fastest time and touched 129 kph (80 mph).

Odermatt acknowledged seeing his Swiss teammate's time was “tough to beat. I started a little bit faster and those hundredths were exactly the difference.”

There was a longer stoppage for fog once the top-ranked racers completed their runs, then the race was interrupted again when No. 45 starter Fredrik Moeller had to be airlifted from the course. He crashed hard on his back while setting a fast time that matched Odermatt.

Minutes later, using the improving light, No. 47 starter Nils Alphand threatened a shock by leading at halfway. He placed fifth, just 0.27 back.

Victory extended Odermatt’s already big lead in the overall standings chasing a fifth straight title. He also won the season-opening downhill two weeks ago at Beaver Creek, Colorado.

A 1-2 result for Switzerland’s top speed racers is routine in World Cup downhills. Odermatt twice won last season with Von Allmen as runner-up, including at Val Gardena, and Odermatt was second in each of Von Allmen’s two World Cup wins.

Odermatt reached 50 World Cup wins at age 28 and tied Tomba for fourth on the all-time men’s list.

Ingmar Stenmark, the Swedish slalom and giant slalom great from the 1970s and ’80s, leads the men with 86 wins. The wins record was extended to 105 by Mikaela Shiffrin winning a slalom on Tuesday at Courchevel, France.

Thursday’s race replaced a downhill canceled by the weather this month at Beaver Creek. Val Gardena stages a super-G on Friday then the classic Saslong race on Saturday over the full downhill distance.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde during the course inspection ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luciano Bisi)

France's Nils Alphand at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen competes during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Luciano Bisi)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Val Gardena, Italy, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)