what nba team has most wins in a single season through the first 22 games in the last 40 years

Between December 5, 1985 and December 5, 2025, the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers are tied for the most wins in a season in their first 22 games, with 16 wins in 1985-86.

	TEAM	W	SEASON	GP	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF
1	Celtics	16	1985-86	22	243.4	116.0	45.4	30.8	9.2	6.4	46.6	91.9	50.7	1.9	5.0	37.8	20.9	26.3	79.3	56.0	12.8	32.6	16.2	5,355	2,551	999	678	203	141	356	465
2	Lakers	16	1985-86	22	240.0	117.3	45.2	29.0	8.9	5.3	47.1	90.8	51.9	1.1	4.3	26.6	22.0	27.9	78.7	56.9	13.5	31.6	16.8	5,280	2,580	994	637	195	116	369	500
3	76ers	16	1985-86	22	242.3	109.0	45.0	23.8	11.8	6.0	40.1	84.0	47.7	0.6	2.5	23.6	28.2	37.5	75.4	54.2	17.5	27.5	20.6	5,330	2,398	989	523	259	133	453	492
4	Hawks	15	1985-86	22	241.1	109.6	44.5	24.1	9.7	5.5	43.3	85.9	50.4	0.5	2.2	22.9	22.5	31.4	71.6	55.0	15.0	29.5	17.4	5,305	2,411	979	531	213	121	382	580
5	Nets	15	1985-86	22	240.0	111.9	46.7	27.8	9.1	4.9	45.2	86.8	52.0	0.5	1.7	26.3	21.1	28.6	73.8	56.3	13.7	33.0	20.5	5,280	2,462	1,028	611	200	108	451	522
6	Rockets	14	1985-86	22	240.0	111.7	44.6	27.6	9.4	7.1	45.3	93.0	48.7	1.1	3.8	30.1	20.0	28.5	70.1	52.9	16.2	28.4	16.3	5,280	2,458	981	608	206	157	358	521
7	Trail Blazers	14	1985-86	22	243.4	117.0	44.8	27.1	10.7	5.0	45.2	89.5	50.5	0.5	2.9	19.0	26.1	34.4	75.8	55.9	14.1	30.7	19.4	5,355	2,574	986	597	235	110	426	589
8	Bucks	14	1985-86	22	242.3	111.9	45.8	25.8	10.8	5.2	42.7	91.0	46.9	1.1	4.2	27.2	25.3	33.9	74.8	52.8	16.0	29.8	16.8	5,330	2,462	1,007	567	237	114	370	578
9	Bullets	12	1985-86	22	241.1	99.8	41.8	20.2	7.2	10.2	39.2	86.1	45.5	1.1	4.2	26.9	20.3	27.5	73.6	50.8	12.3	29.5	15.5	5,305	2,195	920	445	159	224	342	473
10	Spurs	12	1985-86	22	240.0	113.1	41.2	27.4	9.3	5.1	44.0	82.7	53.1	0.5	2.1	23.9	24.7	33.3	74.3	58.1	11.6	29.6	20.5	5,280	2,489	907	602	205	112	451	587
11	Nuggets	11	1985-86	22	241.1	116.3	42.2	26.7	9.9	5.4	45.7	96.0	47.6	0.9	4.0	21.6	24.0	30.1	79.8	53.2	13.5	28.8	15.9	5,305	2,559	929	587	218	119	349	627
12	Suns	11	1985-86	22	240.0	108.8	42.6	27.8	9.4	4.4	43.1	85.5	50.5	0.2	1.7	13.2	22.3	29.7	75.2	55.2	12.3	30.3	19.9	5,280	2,394	937	611	206	97	437	571
13	Cavaliers	10	1985-86	22	241.1	110.5	44.9	26.2	7.7	4.5	43.1	88.4	48.8	1.2	4.5	26.0	23.1	30.0	76.9	54.4	13.8	31.1	18.3	5,305	2,430	987	576	169	99	403	604
14	Kings	9	1985-86	22	241.1	105.4	41.3	26.5	8.1	3.9	41.5	85.6	48.5	0.4	1.7	23.7	21.9	28.5	76.9	53.7	14.0	27.3	19.2	5,305	2,319	909	583	178	85	423	556
15	Bulls	9	1985-86	22	241.1	112.2	45.3	25.7	7.0	6.0	43.6	89.7	48.7	1.2	4.0	29.2	23.7	30.3	78.3	54.4	16.0	29.4	16.2	5,305	2,468	997	566	153	132	357	559
16	Knicks	9	1985-86	22	242.3	100.0	40.7	24.5	8.7	4.9	40.5	86.3	46.9	1.3	3.2	40.0	17.7	25.8	68.5	51.2	13.0	27.8	18.7	5,330	2,199	896	539	192	107	412	615
17	Mavericks	9	1985-86	22	242.3	116.0	45.9	25.2	7.2	5.0	44.0	89.8	49.0	1.5	5.3	29.3	26.5	34.1	77.7	55.4	13.5	32.4	17.8	5,330	2,553	1,009	554	158	109	392	481
18	Jazz	8	1985-86	22	240.0	105.7	42.2	25.5	7.5	7.4	41.1	86.5	47.6	0.7	2.7	27.1	22.7	30.9	73.5	52.8	13.4	28.8	19.2	5,280	2,325	929	560	165	162	422	538
19	Pistons	8	1985-86	22	240.0	111.8	43.8	27.4	9.0	3.7	44.6	93.2	47.8	0.8	2.8	29.5	21.8	28.7	76.1	52.8	16.3	27.5	16.7	5,280	2,460	964	602	198	82	367	587
20	Pacers	7	1985-86	22	240.0	99.5	47.4	25.2	8.8	4.0	39.8	86.0	46.2	0.2	1.8	12.8	19.7	26.7	73.9	50.9	14.5	33.0	20.6	5,280	2,189	1,043	555	194	89	454	591
21	Hornets	6	1988-89	22	241.1	103.0	40.3	27.2	9.1	2.7	40.8	88.6	46.1	1.1	3.7	30.9	20.2	26.5	76.3	51.4	12.7	27.6	17.0	5,305	2,266	886	599	201	60	375	565
22	Warriors	6	1985-86	22	242.3	114.8	42.8	25.4	10.7	3.9	45.3	94.3	48.0	0.6	2.6	24.1	23.6	30.2	78.2	53.4	16.0	26.8	16.7	5,330	2,526	942	558	235	86	367	549
23	SuperSonics	6	1985-86	22	241.1	101.4	40.4	23.5	9.5	3.2	39.6	85.2	46.5	0.8	3.1	25.0	21.5	27.2	78.9	52.2	14.4	26.0	17.5	5,305	2,231	889	517	209	70	386	590
24	Clippers	6	1985-86	22	240.0	103.9	39.0	22.1	8.6	5.5	39.5	86.2	45.8	0.7	2.1	34.8	24.3	31.7	76.6	51.9	13.7	25.3	17.6	5,280	2,286	859	487	189	120	388	526
25	Heat	1	1988-89	22	241.1	93.9	42.5	21.3	9.3	4.8	37.9	88.0	43.0	0.6	2.6	24.6	17.5	25.5	68.6	47.3	17.6	25.0	19.3	5,305	2,065	936	468	204	105	425	576