The Oklahoma City Thunder remain the dominant force in the NBA, holding the No. 1 spot in Week 8 power rankings across multiple outlets with a league-best 23-1 record. Their 15-game winning streak continued with a 30-point victory over the Utah Jazz, even without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As the schedule hits the 30% mark, OKC's elite defense and balanced offense position them as frontrunners for the Emirates NBA Cup.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have solidified their status as the NBA's top team entering Week 8 of the 2025-26 season, boasting a 23-1 record that marks the best 24-game start in franchise history, surpassing even the Seattle SuperSonics era. According to NBA.com's power rankings by John Schuhmann, OKC leads the league with a +15.9 net rating (points per 100 possessions), driven by the No. 1 defense allowing just 104.1 points per 100 possessions and a No. 5 offense scoring 120.0. Their latest win, a 30-point rout of the Jazz on Sunday, came without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed his first game of the season due to an elbow issue but is expected back for Wednesday's Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Phoenix Suns.
Despite injuries to key rotation players—Isaiah Hartenstein has missed five games, Alex Caruso four, and Lu Dort three—OKC has yet to field its full seven-man core in any of their 24 games, yet they've gone 23-1. Jalen Williams' return 10 days ago has boosted the offense, with the Thunder scoring 122.7 points per 100 possessions in his five games, including 120.1 without Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor. They lead the league in effective field goal percentage in the first six seconds of the shot clock at 69.2%, though they take shots early at the second-lowest rate.
The Thunder's schedule strength ranks easiest in the league through Week 7, but their interconference record stands at 14-0 against Western Conference teams with winning records. As the only team with just one loss, OKC enters NBA Cup quarterfinals as heavy favorites, having nearly blown a 15-point lead in their prior Suns matchup but closing with Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 points in the final 11. With the West holding a 53-44 edge over the East, OKC's path to another Cup title—and potentially the championship—looks clear, though injuries remain a watch point.
