The Oklahoma City Thunder, who began the 2025-26 NBA season with an impressive 24-1 record, have struggled significantly in their last 31 games, posting an 18-13 mark and a disappointing 2-3 across their final five games heading into the All-Star break. This downturn has frustrated franchise centerpiece Chet Holmgren, who openly criticized the team’s recent performance following a 110-93 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
When asked about the difficulties that contributed to the loss, Holmgren did not hold back, acknowledging that
“parts of the game were clunky”
and that he and his teammates had fallen into “a bad cycle” just before the mid-season pause. Reflecting on the situation, he expressed concern about carrying these issues through the break:
You hate to have to take that into the break and sit on it for six days. That’s what happened, and we’ve got to come out and be better out of the break,
Holmgren said.
Injuries and Inconsistency Undermining Thunder’s Depth
Oklahoma City’s recent decline can partly be attributed to injuries suffered by key players, including sophomore Ajay Mitchell and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both sidelined with abdominal strains. Despite this, the Thunder are widely acknowledged as one of the league’s deepest rosters in years. However, they have surprisingly struggled to activate their usual “next man up” skill during this challenging period.
In the 11 games prior to the break, the Thunder managed only a 5-6 record, which included multiple losing streaks and unexpected defeats to lower-ranked teams like the Indiana Pacers. Their statistical performance over these games was equally troubling: Oklahoma City ranked 17th in points per game (112.6), 20th in win percentage (.455), and allowed the sixth-highest number of three-pointers (160) to opponents.
All-Star Break Offers Vital Recovery Opportunity for Injured Stars
The All-Star hiatus provides a crucial chance for injured talent to recuperate. Aside from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell, 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams is also benefiting from the pause as he continues to recover from multiple injuries that have sidelined him for 30 games, dating back to last season’s playoff run. Unfortunately, Williams re-aggravated his hamstring injury just before Thursday’s game and will be reassessed following the All-Star Weekend.
With the Thunder’s first three games after the break scheduled against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets, having their key players healthy will be essential. The team faces a critical stretch and must regroup quickly to make a strong push down the final part of the season.
Although entering the All-Star break amid a slump is far from ideal, the rest and recovery time come at an important moment for this injury-plagued roster, potentially positioning them to return refreshed and more competitive in the closing months of the campaign.
