The highly anticipated matchup between the NBA’s conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, lived up to the hype and took place Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Both teams entered the match with double-digit winning streaks, and the match was intense. The score rarely exceeded two possessions throughout, but a second-half run by the Cavs that featured clutch shooting and some big stops ensured a 129-122 victory for the East’s top seed.
Cleveland was able to extend its winning streak to 11 games despite Donovan Mitchell scoring just 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley returned to form, combining for 46 points and 22 rebounds.
With this loss, the Thunder’s winning streak ended at 15. The Thunder stayed in the game until the end despite foul trouble with star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Isaiah Hartenstein early in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 31 points and nine assists, while Hartenstein finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, coming close to a triple-double.
The teams will meet again in Oklahoma City on January 16th, but before that, let’s take a closer look at tonight’s game. What did we learn about each team tonight? What should we look for in the rematch? And will we see this matchup in June’s NBA Finals?
NBA insiders Tim Bontemps, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst break down the most notable matchups of the 2024-25 season so far.
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Darius Garland’s dagger sends Cavs fans into a frenzy
Cleveland fans go wild after Darius Garland’s clutch basket decides the game against the Thunder.
What did we learn about the Cavaliers from this game?
Bontemps: It means they belong. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged after the game that there are still doubts about Cleveland’s ability to win this game and whether this team is really as good as its record suggests. But in a game in which Mitchell went 3-for-16, Cleveland won its 15th straight game and was able to defeat an Oklahoma City team considered a true title contender. After this game, there should be no more doubt that Cleveland is in that category.
Pelton: Max Strus gives them another playmaker. It’s hard to say the Cavaliers have missed Strauss this season, considering they were already 23-4 when he made his season debut on Dec. 20, but his five off the bench Wednesday. His 3-point shot and five assists were the difference-makers. Strus was on the floor late, giving Cleveland a little bit more upside than starting small forward Dean Wade and more strength than sixth man Caris LeVert.
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Windhorst: There are no real winners or losers in this game. Both of these teams showed mastery of the system. The play in the third quarter of that game, which OKC won 43-41, was probably the most technically brilliant 12 minutes of midseason basketball I’ve ever witnessed. It makes sense for the Cavs to win, but they will admit there is little space between the two teams. Cleveland’s ability to run the offense and generate a standard amount of open looks with tight passes and space against such a good defense was probably what was most valuable to them.
What did we learn about the Thunder from this game?
Bon Temps: Chet Holmgren remains the second most important player on this team. Cleveland completely dominated the game in the paint, with Allen and Mobley scoring 46 points on 17-of-21 2-point shooting. Hartenstein is a good big man, but he’s the only true center other than Holmgren in the Thunder’s core rotation. If OKC had had them on the court together in this game, it might have made a difference.
Pelton: They can survive for a while without a top MVP candidate. In the middle of the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench with four fouls and took a one-point lead.Oklahoma City briefly trailed by six points, but recovered and tied the game by the time Gilgeous-Alexander returned about five minutes later. Ta. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s low foul rate, the Thunder will likely face a similar situation at some point in the postseason and will look to this moment as an example of what they can do without their star player. You could do that.
Windhorst: The Thunder really missed Holmgren in this matchup. In addition to playing in the Cavs’ bigs, Allen also had a great game for the second time in a week, beating Anthony Davis on New Year’s Eve — how things would be different if OKC could play the Cavs’ doubles. I couldn’t help but imagine – it looked big. OKC is 15-2 in its last 17 games, including an NBA Cup loss to Milwaukee. Size is a big factor for both, and that fix is already on the roster.
What should we look out for in next week’s rematch?
Bon Temps: A chess match between Cleveland’s dominance on the glass and Oklahoma City’s typical dominance in the turnover battle. The Thunder are obsessed with winning possession games, and they usually do. Both teams took 90 shots in the game, but the Cavaliers made an additional 10 free throws. Oklahoma City committed 15 turnovers and gained 21 points, while Cleveland committed 19 turnovers and gained 21 points. What made the difference was Cleveland’s superiority in points in the paint (60-54) and second-chance points (24-20). The same formula will apply next week.
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Pelton: Our defense has gotten better. In reality, it’s not actually true that the best offense outperforms the best defense. Since the 1996-97 season, the league has averaged almost exactly the same points per possession when playing top-five offenses and top-five defenses. If you limit this to No. 1 offenses (such as Cleveland this season) and No. 2 defenses (Oklahoma City), it’s about 1% better than average. Still, the Cavaliers shot 52 percent from the field and 42 percent from three, better than they have been all season, and the Thunder (53 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three) weren’t far behind. It’s unlikely we’ll see either team shoot this accurately in Oklahoma City.
Windhorst: I would be surprised if the Thunder allowed 129 points on their home court. The Cavs were able to beat them on the “second pass” many times, especially when peeling out of pick-and-rolls and beating Oklahoma City’s help defense near the rim. That led to a lot of easy baskets and deep entry passes in situations where the Thunder had to foul. I expect them to be better prepared for it next week.
Was this a preview of the finals?
Bontemps: Maybe — I probably wouldn’t have said that 24 hours ago. Cleveland did a great job in this game. Mobley proved he was an All-Star lock. The Cavaliers took every punch from the Thunder and responded with stronger punches. The result was their 32nd win out of 36 games. Ahead of Wednesday, I wrote about how this team compares to the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors. These Warriors came out of nowhere and were doubted all season, but ultimately won the title. I’m not saying Cleveland will do it right now, but I would say the Cavaliers will do enough to make it through June.
Pelton: I would still bet on it at even odds. Projected using ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, these teams have the two best chances to make the Finals, but this particular matchup still only has a 35% chance of happening. To win the East Division, I would choose the Boston Celtics over the Cavaliers. The Thunder are the clear favorites to win the West Division, but a lot can happen between now and the end of May that could change that.
Windhorst: I watched that game, and with all due respect, I’m not saying anything bad about either team. I’m not predicting the finals in January either. But I’ll tell them this: There have been multiple championship teams I’ve watched over the past 20 years that couldn’t beat these two teams.
