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The Golden State Warriors have become the first team to start a season 16-0 by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 111-77 on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Stephen Curry had 24 points and nine assists to lead the Warriors.
The 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols previously held the NBA record with 15 consecutive wins to start a season.
The defending champion Warriors have been dominant throughout this magical start, boasting the league's best offense and a top five defense. Golden State's point differential stands at 15.6 after this latest triumph, which blows away the second-place San Antonio Spurs, who have a point differential of +9.2.
Eleven of the 16 wins have come by double digits, and the closest margin of victory has been four points. The Warriors did go to overtime against the Brooklyn Nets and have faced multiple big deficits, namely a 23-point first-half deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers, but Golden State has still found a way to win every game.
Curry and small ball have been at the heart of the dominance. Curry has significantly improved upon his MVP season of last year, and the Warriors' small ball "death" lineup featuring Draymond Green at center has rescued the team on several occasions when called upon in crunch time.
Eight of Golden State's next nine games are on the road, so perhaps a loss is on the horizon, although they'll likely be favored in every game. The Warriors' next outing is against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night in Phoenix.