List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks
This is a list of the longest winning streaks in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. The list includes streaks that started at the end of one season and carried over into the following season. There are two lists, streaks that consist entirely of regular-season games and streaks made up of playoff games only. The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for the longest winning streak in NBA history. They won 33 straight games in the 1971–72 season, compiling a season-best 69–13 record and went on to win the NBA Finals. In the 2016–17 season, the Golden State Warriors posted a season-best 67–15 regular-season record and began the 2017 playoffs with a 15-game win-streak, the most consecutive wins in NBA playoff history. They went on to win the NBA Championship with a 16–1 (.941 winning percentage) record, the best playoff record in NBA history.[1]
The Los Angeles Lakers appear six times across both lists, with four streaks over 15 games in the regular-season and two over ten games in the postseason. The Boston Celtics appear five times, with all five streaks in the regular-season. The San Antonio Spurs appear four times, with two streaks in the regular-season and two in the postseason. The Milwaukee Bucks also appear four times, with all four streaks in the regular season.
Key
^ | Denotes streaks that spanned two seasons | |
Denotes streaks that are currently in progress | ||
* | Denotes season in which team won championship |
Streaks
Regular season
This list contains only the top streaks consisting entirely of regular-season games.
Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Season record(s) |
Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginning (first victory) | End (first defeat) | |||||||||
1 | 33 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1971–72* | 69–13 | November 5, 1971 | 110–106 | Baltimore Bullets | January 9, 1972 | 104–120 | Milwaukee Bucks |
2 | 28 (4 + 24) |
Golden State Warriors^ | 2014–15* 2015–16 |
67–15 73–9 |
April 9, 2015 | 116–105 | Portland Trail Blazers | December 12, 2015 | 95–108 | Milwaukee Bucks |
3 | 27 | Miami Heat | 2012–13* | 66–16 | February 3, 2013 | 100–85 | Toronto Raptors | March 27, 2013 | 97–101 | Chicago Bulls |
4 | 22 | Houston Rockets | 2007–08 | 55–27 | January 29, 2008 | 111–107 | Golden State Warriors | March 18, 2008 | 74–94 | Boston Celtics |
5 (tie) | 20 (5 + 15) |
Washington Capitols^ | 1947–48 1948–49 |
28–20 38–22 |
March 13, 1948 | 86–69 | St. Louis Bombers | December 7, 1948 | 78–94 | Indianapolis Jets |
5 (tie) | 20 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1970–71* | 66–16 | February 6, 1971 | 111–85 | San Francisco Warriors | March 9, 1971 | 103–110 | Chicago Bulls |
7 (tie) | 19 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1999–00* | 67–15 | February 4, 2000 | 113–67 | Utah Jazz | March 16, 2000 | 102–109 | Washington Wizards |
7 (tie) | 19 | Boston Celtics | 2008–09 | 62–20 | November 15, 2008 | 102–97 | Milwaukee Bucks | December 25, 2008 | 83–92 | Los Angeles Lakers |
7 (tie) | 19 | San Antonio Spurs | 2013–14* | 62–20 | February 26, 2014 | 120–110 | Detroit Pistons | April 3, 2014 | 94–106 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
7 (tie) | 19 | Atlanta Hawks | 2014–15 | 60–22 | December 27, 2014 | 90–85 | Milwaukee Bucks | February 2, 2015 | 100–115 | New Orleans Pelicans |
11 (tie) | 18 (15 + 3) |
Rochester Royals^ | 1949–50 1950–51* |
51–17 41–27 |
February 17, 1950 | 81–73 | Boston Celtics | November 12, 1950 | 79–82 | Tri-Cities Blackhawks |
11 (tie) | 18 (11 + 7) |
Philadelphia 76ers^ | 1965–66 1966–67* |
55–25 68–13 |
March 3, 1966 | 135–125 | San Francisco Warriors | November 5, 1966 | 87–105 | Boston Celtics |
11 (tie) | 18 | New York Knicks | 1969–70* | 60–22 | October 24, 1969 | 116–92 | Detroit Pistons | November 29, 1969 | 98–110 | Detroit Pistons |
11 (tie) | 18 | Boston Celtics | 1981–82 | 63–19 | February 24, 1982 | 132–90 | Utah Jazz | March 28, 1982 | 98–116 | Philadelphia 76ers |
11 (tie) | 18 | Chicago Bulls | 1995–96* | 72–10 | December 29, 1995 | 120–93 | Indiana Pacers | February 4, 1996 | 99–105 | Denver Nuggets |
11 (tie) | 18 | Milwaukee Bucks | 2019–20 | 56–17 | November 10, 2019 | 121–119 | Oklahoma City Thunder | December 16, 2019 | 116–120 | Dallas Mavericks |
17 (tie) | 17 | Washington Capitols | 1946–47 | 49–11 | November 16, 1946 | 73–65 | Chicago Stags | January 1, 1947 | 57–62 | Detroit Falcons |
17 (tie) | 17 | Boston Celtics | 1959–60* | 59–16 | November 28, 1959 | 136–110 | Detroit Pistons | January 1, 1960 | 115–128 | Cincinnati Royals |
17 (tie) | 17 | San Antonio Spurs | 1995–96 | 59–23 | February 29, 1996 | 120–95 | Toronto Raptors | April 2, 1996 | 94–101 | Phoenix Suns |
17 (tie) | 17 | Phoenix Suns | 2006–07 | 61–21 | December 29, 2006 | 108–86 | New York Knicks | January 29, 2007 | 112–121 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
17 (tie) | 17 | Dallas Mavericks | 2006–07 | 67–15 | January 27, 2007 | 106–104 | Sacramento Kings | March 12, 2007 | 100–117 | Golden State Warriors |
17 (tie) | 17 | Los Angeles Clippers | 2012–13 | 56–26 | November 28, 2012 | 101–95 | Minnesota Timberwolves | January 1, 2013 | 78–92 | Denver Nuggets |
17 (tie) | 17 | Houston Rockets | 2017–18 | 65–17 | January 30, 2018 | 113–102 | Phoenix Suns | March 9, 2018 | 105–108 | Toronto Raptors |
24 (tie) | 16 | Boston Celtics | 1964–65* | 62–18 | December 19, 1964 | 115–105 | St. Louis Hawks | January 23, 1965 | 100–104 | Philadelphia 76ers |
24 (tie) | 16 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1970–71* | 66–16 | October 24, 1970 | 122–120 | Baltimore Bullets | November 27, 1970 | 94–103 | New York Knicks |
24 (tie) | 16 (14 + 2) |
Milwaukee Bucks^ | 1972–73 1973–74 |
60–22 59–23 |
February 28, 1973 | 124–110 | Seattle SuperSonics | October 14, 1973 | 100–109 | Seattle SuperSonics |
24 (tie) | 16 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1990–91 | 58–24 | January 9, 1991 | 108–85 | Utah Jazz | February 9, 1991 | 95–99 | Phoenix Suns |
24 (tie) | 16 | Portland Trail Blazers | 1990–91 | 63–19 | March 20, 1991 | 100–96 | Los Angeles Clippers | April 21, 1991 | 118–135 | Phoenix Suns |
24 (tie) | 16 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1999–00* | 67–15 | December 11, 1999 | 106–94 | Vancouver Grizzlies | January 14, 2000 | 102–111 | Indiana Pacers |
24 (tie) | 16 | Golden State Warriors | 2014–15* | 67–15 | November 13, 2014 | 107–99 | Brooklyn Nets | December 16, 2014 | 98–105 | Memphis Grizzlies |
24 (tie) | 16 | Boston Celtics | 2017–18 | 55–27 | October 20, 2017 | 102–92 | Philadelphia 76ers | November 22, 2017 | 98–104 | Miami Heat |
24 (tie) | 16 | Philadelphia 76ers | 2017–18 | 52–30 | March 15, 2018 | 118–110 | New York Knicks | October 16, 2018 | 87–105 | Boston Celtics |
Playoffs
This list contains only streaks consisting entirely of postseason games. Streaks that spanned consecutive postseasons are included here.
Rank | Games | Team | Season(s) | Date | Score | Opponent | Date | Score | Opponent |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beginning (first victory) | End (first defeat) | ||||||||
1 | 15 | Golden State Warriors | 2016–17* | April 16, 2017 | 121–109 | Portland Trail Blazers | June 9, 2017 | 116–137 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2 (tie) | 13 (2 + 11) |
Los Angeles Lakers^ | 1987–88* 1988–89 |
June 19, 1988 | 103–102 | Detroit Pistons | June 6, 1989 | 97–109 | Detroit Pistons |
2 (tie) | 13 (3 + 10) |
Cleveland Cavaliers^ | 2015–16* 2016–17 |
June 13, 2016 | 112–97 | Golden State Warriors | May 21, 2017 | 108–111 | Boston Celtics |
4 (tie) | 12 (7 + 5) |
Detroit Pistons^ | 1988–89* 1989–90* |
May 29, 1989 | 86–80 | Chicago Bulls | May 12, 1990 | 103–111 | New York Knicks |
4 (tie) | 12 | San Antonio Spurs | 1998–99* | May 13, 1999 | 85–71 | Minnesota Timberwolves | June 21, 1999 | 81–89 | New York Knicks |
4 (tie) | 12 (1 + 11) |
Los Angeles Lakers^ | 1999–00* 2000–01* |
June 19, 2000 | 116–111 | Indiana Pacers | June 6, 2001 | 101–107 | Philadelphia 76ers |
7 (tie) | 10 | New Jersey Nets | 2002–03 | April 29, 2003 | 89–82 | Milwaukee Bucks | June 4, 2003 | 89–101 | San Antonio Spurs |
7 (tie) | 10 | San Antonio Spurs | 2011–12 | April 29, 2012 | 106–91 | Utah Jazz | May 31, 2012 | 82–102 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
7 (tie) | 10 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 2015–16* | April 17, 2016 | 106–101 | Detroit Pistons | May 21, 2016 | 84–99 | Toronto Raptors |
References
- "Purdy: Put a pause on the dynasty talk–and just enjoy this Warriors title". Mercury News. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
External links
- NBA.com: All-Time Winning Streaks
- Basketball Reference.com list of longest winning streaks, regular season only
- Basketball Reference.com list of longest winning streaks, postseason only
- Basketball Reference.com list of longest winning streaks, including playoff games
- Land of Basketball
- Streaks Visualization