Milwaukee Bucks' Winning Streak Ends at 16 Games -- What is the Longest Winning Streak in NBA History?

Milwaukee Bucks’ Winning Streak Ends at 16 Games — What is the Longest Winning Streak in NBA History?

Through 71 games, the Milwaukee Bucks are 51-20 and currently have control of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference – 2.5 games ahead of the Celtics. While that is subject to change with 11 games left in the season, the Bucks have proven to be one of the best teams in the league for the fifth straight year. 

A large reason they currently stand atop the standings is because of their recent 16-game winning streak – an impressive feat that started with a 150-130 win vs. the Detroit Pistons on January 23 and ended with a tight 130-133 loss vs. the Philadelphia 76ers on March 4. Only one of those games ended in overtime.

The Bucks scored at 104 points in each of those 16 games, with their 150-point outing against the Pistons being the highest. In the 12 games Giannis Antetokounmpo played in during the streak, he averaged more than 36 points per game – including a 50-point outing and 54-point outing. He was electrifying. 

RELATED: 20 of the Longest Winning Streak in Sports History

What is the Longest Winning Streak in NBA History?

Milwaukee Bucks' Winning Streak Ends at 16 Games -- What is the Longest Winning Streak in NBA History?
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As of March 21, the Milwaukee Bucks have the longest winning streak of the 2022-23 season at 16 games – they also had a 9-game winning streak at the start of the season, which ranks 4th. The Brooklyn Nets had a 12-game winning streak, while the Memphis Grizzlies had an 11-game winning streak.  

Anytime a team can string together 10+ wins in a row, they’re doing something right. It’s hard enough to get one win in this league – just look at the Detroit Pistons, who are currently 16-56 on the year – let alone 10+ in a row. Despite the difficulty, NBA fans see it happen several times every single season.

While the Bucks own the best winning streak of the season, it’s only tied for the 22nd-best winning streak of all-time – there have been 10 other instances of a 16-game winning streak in NBA history, with this being the third instance by the Bucks. So, what are the top-21 longest winning streaks in NBA history?

21. 1959 Boston Celtics – 17 games

The Boston Celtics had a 17-game winning streak during the 1959-60 season that started with a 136-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on November 28, 1959 and came to an end with a 96-82 victory over the St. Louis Hawks on December 30, 1959. The Celtics scored at least 120 points in 12 of those games. 

The team featured the likes of Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Bill Russell, Frank Ramsey, Sam Jones, Gene Conley, K.C. Jones, and more. They were coached by Red Auerbach and went on to finish the year as the No. 1 seed in the East with a 59-16 record – winning an NBA title in the process.

20. 1996 San Antonio Spurs – 17 games

The San Antonio Spurs had a 17-game winning streak during the 1995-96 season – starting with a 120-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on February 29, 1996 and coming to an end with a 97-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns on March 31, 1996. They scored at least 110 points in eight of those games. 

The team featured the likes of David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Vinny Del Negro, Avery Johnson, Chuck Person, Charles Smith, J.R. Reid, and more. They were coached by Bob Hill and finished with a 59-23 record. They defeated the Suns in the First Round of the playoffs, but lost to the Jazz in the Semifinals. 

19. 2007 Dallas Mavericks – 17 games

The Dallas Mavericks had a 17-game winning streak during the 2006-07 season – starting with a 106-104 win over the Sacramento Kings on January 27, 2007 and coming to an end with a 108-72 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 11, 2007. They also had a 12-game and 13-game win streak that season.

The team featured the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, Erick Dampier, and more. They were coached by Avery Johnson and finished the season with a 67-15 record. Despite their incredible season, they lost to the Warriors in the First Round of the playoffs.

18. 2006-07 Phoenix Suns – 17 games

The Phoenix Suns had a 17-game winning streak during the 2006-07 season – starting with a 108-86 win over the New York Knicks on December 29, 2006 and coming to an end with a 115-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 28, 2007. They also had a 15-game win streak earlier in the season.

The team featured the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, Shawn Marion, Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and James Jones. They were coached by Mike D’Antoni and finished the year 61-21. They beat the Lakers in the First Round of the playoffs, but lost to the Spurs in the Semifinals. 

17. 2012 Los Angeles Clippers – 17 games

The Los Angeles Clippers had a 17-game winning streak during the 2012-13 season – starting with a 101-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 28, 2012 and ending with a 107-96 win over the Utah Jazz on December 30, 2012. They also ended the season on a 7-game winning streak. 

The team featured the likes of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, Carson Butler, Matt Barnes, DeAndre Jordan, Eric Gordon, and Chauncey Billups. They were coached by Vinny Del Negro and finished the year 56-26, but ended up losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round of the playoffs. 

16. 2018 Houston Rockets – 17 games

The Houston Rockets went on a 17-game winning streak during the 2017-18 season – starting with a 113-102 win vs. the Phoenix Suns on January 28, 2018 and ending with a 110-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on March 7, 2018. They also went on a 14-game and 11-game winning streak during the season.

The team featured the likes of James Harden, Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, Gerald Green, Trevor Ariza, and Ryan Anderson. They were coached by Mike D’Antoni and finished the season 65-17. They ended up making it to the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the Warriors in Game 7. 

15. 1966 Philadelphia 76ers – 18 games

The Philadelphia 76ers went on an 18-game winning streak in 1966, though it spanned two seasons. They ended the 1965-66 with an 11-game win streak between March 3, 1966 and March 20, 1966, and started the 1966-67 season with a 7-game win streak between October 15, 1966 and November 4, 1966.

The 76ers went on to finish the 1965-66 season with a 55-25 record (coached by Dolph Schayes), but lost to the Boston Celtics in the First Round of the playoffs that year. As for the 1966-67 season, they had a 68-13 record (coached by Alex Hannum) and defeated the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals. 

14. 1969 New York Knicks – 18 games

The New York Knicks went on an 18-game winning streak early on in the 1969-70 season – starting with a 116-92 win over the Detroit Pistons on October 24, 1969 and ending with a 106-105 win over the Cincinnati Royals on November 28, 1969. They ended up winning 26 of their first 28 games that season.

The team featured the likes of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Dave DeBusschere, Cazzie Russell, Bill Bradley, Dave Stallworth, and Mike Riordan. They were coached by Red Holzman and finished the year 60-22. They went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 to win the NBA Championship. 

13. 1982 Boston Celtics – 18 games

The Boston Celtics went on an 18-game winning streak during the 1981-82 season – starting with a 132-90 win over the Utah Jazz on February 24, 1982 and ending with a 125-104 win over the Detroit Pistons on March 26, 1982. They started the season 15-3, which included an 8-game winning streak. 

The team featured the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Tiny Archibald, Gerald Henderson, M.L. Carr, and Chris Ford. They were coached by Bill Fitch and finished the year with a 63-19 record, but ended up losing to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

12. 1995-96 Chicago Bulls – 18 games

The Chicago Bulls went on an 18-game winning streak in the 1995-96 season – starting with a 120-93 win over the Indiana Pacers on December 29, 1995 and ending with a 99-84 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 1996. If it weren’t for a loss on December 26, it would’ve been a 31-game win streak. 

The team featured the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Luc Longley, Toni Kukoč, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, Dennis Rodman, and Bill Wennington. They were coached by Phil Jackson and finished the year with a 72-10 record. They went on to beat the SuperSonics to win the NBA Championship. 

11. 2019 Milwaukee Bucks – 18 games

The Milwaukee Bucks went on an 18-game winning streak during the 2019-20 season – starting with a 121-119 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 10, 2019 and ending with a 125-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 14, 2019. They ended up winning 52 of their first 60 games. 

The team featured the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, George Hill, Donte DiVincenzo, and Wesley Matthews. They were coached by Mike Budenholzer and finished the shortened season with a 56-17 record. They lost to the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.

10. 2021 Phoenix Suns – 18 games

The Phoenix Suns went on an 18-game winning streak during the 2021-22 season – starting with a 101-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 30, 2021 and ending with a 114-103 win over the Detroit Pistons on December 2, 2021. They started the season 1-3, but won 25 of their next 27 games.

The team featured the likes of Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Cameron Payne, Frank Kaminsky, and Jae Crowder. They were coached by Monty Williams and finished 64-18, but ended up losing to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals.

9. 2000 Los Angeles Lakers – 19 games

The Los Angeles Lakers went on a 19-game winning streak during the 1999-00 season – starting with a 113-67 win over the Utah Jazz on February 4, 2000 and ending with a 118-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on March 13, 2000. They also went on a 16-game and 11-game win streak during the season.

The team featured the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice, Ron Harper, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher, Tyronn Lue, Robert Horry, and A.C. Green. They were coached by Phil Jackson and finished with a 67-15 record. They went on to beat the Indiana Pacers to win the NBA Championship. 

8. 2008 Boston Celtics – 19 games

The Boston Celtics went on a 19-game winning streak during the 2008-09 season – starting with a 102-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on November 15, 2008 and ending with a 110-91 over the Philadelphia 76ers on december 23, 2008. They ended up winning 27 of their first 29 games to start the season. 

The team featured the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, and Glen Davis. They were coached by Doc Rivers and finished the season with a 62-20 record, but lost to the Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

7. 2014 San Antonio Spurs – 19 games

The San Antonio Spurs went on a 19-game winning streak during the 2013-14 season – starting with a 120-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on February 26, 2014 and ending with a 111-90 win over the Golden State Warriors on April 2, 2014. They also went on an 11-game winning streak earlier in the season. 

The team featured the likes of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Kawhi Leonard, Marco Belinelli, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw, Danny Green, and Tiago Splitter. They were coached by Gregg Popovich and finished the year 62-20 before eventually beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the NBA Finals. 

6. 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks – 19 games

The Atlanta Hawks went on a 19-game winning streak during the 2014-15 season – starting with a 90-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 27, 2014 and ending with a 91-85 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 31, 2015. The Hawks also went on a 9-game winning streak earlier in the season. 

The team featured the likes of Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, DeMarre Carroll, Kyle Korver, Mike Scott, Dennis Schröder, and Pero Antić. They were coached by Mike Budenholzer and finished the season 60-22, but got swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

5. 1971 Milwaukee Bucks – 20 games

The Milwaukee Bucks went on a 20-game winning streak during the 1970-71 season – starting with a 111-85 win over the San Francisco Warriors on February 6, 1971 and ending with a 104-99 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on March 8, 1971. They also went on a 16-game winning streak earlier in the year.

The team featured the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Greg Smith, Jon McGlocklin, Bob Boozer, and Lucius Allen. They were coached by Larry Costello and finished the season with a 66-16 record before defeating the Baltimore Bullets to win the NBA Championship.

4. 2008 Houston Rockets – 22 games

The Houston Rockets went on a 22-game winning streak during the 2007-08 season – starting with a 111-107 win over the Golden State Warriors on January 29, 2008 and ending with a 104-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 16, 2008. They were 24-20 before the streak and 46-20 after the streak. 

The team featured the likes of Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Rafer Alston, Luis Scola, Shane Battier, Bonzi Wells, Luther Head, and Carl Landry. They were coached by Rick Adelman and finished the season 55-27, but didn’t play well in the playoffs – they were defeated by the Jazz in the First Round.

3. 2013 Miami Heat – 27 games

The Miami Heat went on a 27-game winning streak during the 2012-13 season – starting with a 100-85 win over the Toronto Raptors on February 3, 2013 and ending with a 108-94 win over the Orlando Magic on March 25, 2013. They also won their final eight games of the year to end the season on a good note. 

The team featured the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Rashard Lewis, Chris Andersen, Mike Miller, and Udonis Haslem. They were coached by Erik Spoelstra, finished the year 66-16, and beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals. 

2. 2015-16 Golden State Warriors – 28 games

The Golden State Warriors went on a 28-game winning streak that started with a 4-game win streak at the end of the 2014-15 season and ended with a 24-game win streak at the start of the 2015-16 season – which was the year they broke the record for most wins in a season, finishing with a 73-9 record. 

The primary players that were on both teams included Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, and Marreese Speights. The Warriors beat the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals in 2014-15, but lost to them in 2015-16. 

1. 1972 Los Angeles Lakers – 33 games

The Los Angeles Lakers went on a record 33-game winning streak during the 1971-72 season – starting with a 110-106 win over the Baltimore Bullets on November 5, 1971 and ending with a 134-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on January 7, 1972. They also went on two 8-game win streaks during the season. 

The team featured the likes of Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, Jim McMillian, Wilt Chamberlain, Happy Hairston, Elgin Baylor, Flynn Robinson, and Pat Riley. They were coached by Bill Sharman and finished the season with a 69-13 record before defeating the Knicks 4-1 to win the NBA Championship.

What About the Worst Losing Streaks in NBA History?

Going on a winning streak is one of the best things a team can do, especially if that winning streak extends past 10 games – that’s nearly an eighth of the season! With that said, not every team is fortunate enough to win that often. In fact, some teams do the exact opposite and string together a flurry of losses. 

In fact, there have been 13 instances of a team losing at least 20 games in a row in NBA history – including three of which by the Philadelphia 76ers, who own the worst losing streak of all-time at 28 games in 2015-16. The 76ers also had a 26-game losing streak in 2014, tied for the 2nd-worst all-time.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were the only other team in NBA history with a losing streak that bad, losing 26 in a row in 2011 – though they also had a 24-game losing streak in 1982-83, which is the fourth-worst all-time. The Charlotte Bobcats, Denver Nuggets, and Vancouver Grizzlies each had a 23-game losing streak.

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