Which team holds the longest win streak in NBA history? Looking back at their record and their most memorable wins

Consistency and achieving a long win streak is vitally important in the NBA, particularly considering the length of the season. If players and staff are all pulling in the same direction, a side can put a run together that separates their own record from that of their rivals. In the 2020-21 season, the Utah Jazz put together the longest win streak, going undefeated throughout most of January winning 11 games along the way.

While their run was impressive, however, it pales in comparison to the NBA's record for most consecutive victories. That title rests with the LA Lakers' 1971-72 side, with few teams coming close since.

What was the LA Lakers' win streak in the 1971-72 NBA season?

Jerry West, Pat Riley and Gail Goodrich, all members of the 1972 Lakers title-winning team

The LA Lakers were a dominant force in NBA basketball during the 1960s and 70s. By the time the 1971-72 season came around, though, they had lost seven Finals appearances in ten years. Their luck was about to change, however. From the beginning of November, on a 6-3 record, the Lakers went on a 33-game win streak that lasted just over two months until the 9th of January.

Quite suitably, their win streak was ended on the road by the team that had knocked them out of the playoffs the previous year, the Milwaukee Bucks. Seventeen of their victories came on home court, with the average winning margin a staggering 16 points.

How GOOD were the 1971-72 @Lakers? 33 in a row, 69 victories (record), NBA title. Wilt, West, Goodrich (25.9 ppg); Head Coach: Bill Sharman pic.twitter.com/1jSkTi4Z0F

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 8, 2017

During their win streak, the LA Lakers enjoyed two huge victories over the Philadelphia 76ers. In just their fifth game into the winning run, the Lakers triumphed by 40 points over the Sixers, with future Hall-of-Famer Gail Goodrich scoring 34 points and Jerry West adding 20. They tallied up 143 points on the night, though NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain only scored six - proving how much scoring depth the Lakers side had.

Just over a month later, they scored even more in a win against the Sixers - 154 - with every Lakers starter grabbing more than 15 points. Chamberlain scored 32 points this time while Goodrich added 31.

In the LA Lakers' final win, they played the Atlanta Hawks. Holding their opponents to just 90 points, the Lakers ran out comfortable victors, scoring 134 on the night with small forward Jim McMillan leading the team with 26 points.

It wasn't always plain sailing for the LA Lakers, though. Their win streak was threatened multiple times, with the Phoenix Suns the only team to push them into overtime on December 10th. The Lakers would end up outscoring the Suns in OT by 15-6 with Goodrich and McMillan both scoring over 30 points.

The 1971-72 Lakers together again. pic.twitter.com/oCcWyYMw

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 7, 2012

By the end of the campaign, the LA Lakers had a record of 69-13 which was, at the time, an NBA high and still stands as the third-best in history. Hall-of-Famers Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain Gail Goodrich were all influential, with Jim McMillan and Happy Hairston also both averaging over 13 points per game.

The closest any NBA team has come to matching the Lakers' win streak was the Miami Heat in the 2012-13 campaign. They triumphed 27 times in a row and would go on to defend their title in the playoffs.