With their victory against OKC at home, the Rockets have now reached ten consecutive wins, and in the next game against Utah, they could tie the season record set by the Boston Celtics. But what are the longest winning streaks in a single NBA season (regular season only)? Let’s discover the Top 10 together.
10 – PHOENIX SUNS 2021-22 (18 WINS) | For Devin Booker and Chris Paul’s Suns, the winning streak started in October against Cleveland and ended in December against Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
10 – MILWAUKEE BUCKS 2019-20 (18 WINS) | The winning streak began in the tenth regular-season game with a victory in Oklahoma City. From there, seventeen more wins followed until the home loss against Dallas. Out of the 18 victories, 11 came at home and 7 on the road, with Giannis Antetokounpo as the absolute star.
10 – CHICAGO BULLS 1995-1996 (18 WINS) | Those Bulls dominated the regular season, finishing with 72 wins and 10 losses, and went on to win the NBA title led by Michael Jordan.
10 – BOSTON CELTICS 1981-1982 (18 WINS) | The Celtics, led by Larry Bird, finished the season with the league’s best record (63-19), but were defeated in the conference finals by Philadelphia.
10 – NEW YORK KNICKS 1969-1970 (18 WINS) | Those Knicks went on to win the NBA title.
6 – LOS ANGELES LAKERS 1999-00 (19 WINS) | Nineteen consecutive victories led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal for the 1999-00 Lakers, who finished the season with the best record in the league (67-15). They also clinched the NBA title with a 4-2 victory over Indiana in the finals.
6 – BOSTON CELTICS 2008-09 (19 WINS) | No title for the Celtics of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen in the 2008-09 season. Despite a record of 62-20, including 19 consecutive wins, they suffered an unexpected defeat against Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
6 – SAN ANTONIO SPURS 2013-14 (19 WINS) | After leading the regular season with 62 wins and 20 losses, including a streak of 19 consecutive wins, the Spurs of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker went on to win the title (4-1 in the finals against Miami). Our very own Marco Belinelli also celebrated the victory.
6 – ATLANTA HAWKS 2014-15 (19 WINS) | The 2014-15 Hawks, led by Paul Millsap, achieved the second-best record in NBA history (60-22) behind Golden State and had a streak of 19 consecutive wins. However, they were ultimately swept 4-0 by LeBron James’ Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. The championship would later go to the Warriors.
5 – MILWAUKEE BUCKS 1970-71 (20 WINS) | With the best regular-season record in NBA history (66-16), the 1970-71 Bucks, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, achieved the fifth-longest winning streak of all time with 20 consecutive wins. They also won the title with a 4-0 victory in the finals against the Baltimore Bullets.
4 – HOUSTON ROCKETS 2007-08 (22 WINS) | Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were the iconic players for the 2007-08 Rockets, who won twenty-two consecutive games. However, they suffered a heartbreaking elimination in the first round of the playoffs by Utah (4-2).
3 – GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 2015-16 (24 WINS) | The 2015-16 Warriors had the best regular-season record of all time, with 73 wins and 9 losses, including a streak of 24 consecutive wins. Coached by Steve Kerr, the team embarked on a triumphant journey. Their first loss of the season came on December 12, 2015. However, disappointment struck in the NBA Finals against Cleveland as they suffered a comeback, going from 3-1 to 3-4.
2 – MIAMI HEAT 2012-13 (27 WINS) | The 2012-13 Heat, featuring James, Wade, Bosh, and Allen, achieved the second-longest winning streak in NBA history with 27 consecutive victories. They finished the season with the best record in the league (66-16). In the Finals, they clinched a hard-fought championship in a Game 7 victory against the Spurs.
1 – LOS ANGELES LAKERS 1971-72 (33 WINS) | The longest winning streak in NBA history belongs to the 1971-72 Lakers. Led by Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, the purple and gold achieved 33 consecutive victories, culminating in a season with the best record in the league (69-13) and an NBA championship ring, secured by defeating New York in the finals (4-1).
