The highly anticipated showdown between the NBA conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, lived up to the hype and then on a Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Both teams entered the game on double-digit winning streaks, and the game played out like a heavyweight duel. The score was rarely more than two possessions, but a late Cavs run that included clutch shots and some big stops secured a 129-122 victory for the East’s top seed.
Cleveland was able to run its winning streak to 11 despite Donovan Mitchell scoring just 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley took over, combining for 46 points and 22 rebounds.
The loss snapped a 15-game winning streak for the Thunder, who were in the game until the final minute despite foul trouble for star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Isaiah Hartenstein early in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points and a game-high nine assists, while Hartenstein finished two assists away from a triple-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The teams will meet again on January 16 in Oklahoma City, but first 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 in the NBA Finals?
Our NBA experts Tim Bontemps, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst break down the biggest matchup of the 2024-25 season so far.
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Darius Garland’s dagger drives Cavs fans crazy
Cleveland fans erupt after Darius Garland’s key basket stops the game against the Thunder.
What did we learn about the Cavaliers in this game?
Good weather: That they belong. Even after the game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that there were questions about Cleveland’s ability to win this game and whether this team is really as good as its record shows. But in a game in which Mitchell went 3-for-16, Cleveland was able to beat an Oklahoma City team that had won 15 games in a row and is seen as a real title contender. After this game, doubts about Cleveland being in that category should no longer exist.
Pelton: Max Strus gives them another playmaker. It’s hard to say that the Cavaliers had omitted Strus this season, as they were already 23-4 when he made his season debut on Dec. 20, but his five 3-pointers and five assists off the bench on Wednesday were the difference. Strus was on the court down the stretch, giving Cleveland a little more of an advantage than with starting small forward Dean Wade and more strength than with sixth man Caris LeVert.
Wind horst: There is no real winner or loser in this game. Both teams demonstrated mastery of their systems. The execution in the third quarter of this game, which OKC won 43-41, was perhaps the most technically splendid 12 minutes of midseason basketball I have ever witnessed. The Cavs taking the win is significant, but they would admit there is very little room between these teams. Cleveland’s ability to execute their offense and generate their standard amount of open looks with their tight passing and spacing against such a big defense was probably the most rewarding for them.
What did we learn about the Thunder in this game?
Good weather: That Chet Holmgren is still the second most important player on this team. Cleveland absolutely dominated this game in the paint, with Allen and Mobley scoring 46 points on 17-of-21 2-point shooting. Hartenstein is an excellent big man, but he is the only true center, other than Holmgren, in the Thunder’s center rotation. If OKC had them on the court together in this game, it could have made the difference.
Pelton: They can survive a stretch without the MVP favorite. Leading by one point when Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma City was down six at one point but rallied to tie the game when Gilgeous-Alexander returned nearly five minutes later. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s low foul rate, the Thunder will likely face a similar situation at some point in the postseason and can reference this moment as an example of what they can do without their star player.
Wind horst: The Thunder missed Holmgren greatly in this matchup. Aside from what the Cavs’ big men played (Allen played his second brilliant game last week, including beating Anthony Davis on New Year’s Eve), it was hard not to imagine how things would be different if OKC could match the double of the Cavs. -great look. OKC is 15-2 in its last 17 games, including the NBA Cup loss to Milwaukee. Size was an important factor in both, and they already have the solution in their squad.
What should we keep in mind in next week’s rematch?
Good weather: The 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 the possession game, and they usually do. In this game, both teams took 90 shots but the Cavaliers shot an additional 10 free throws. Oklahoma City forced 15 turnovers for 21 points, but Cleveland forced 19 of 21. And Cleveland’s advantages in points in the paint (60 to 54) and second-chance points (24 to 20) were the difference. The same formulas will be applied next week.
Pelton: Better defense. In practice, it’s not really true that the best offenses beat the best defenses. Since the 1996-97 season, the top five offenses have averaged almost exactly the league’s average points per possession in matchups against the top five defenses. If we limit that to the number one offense (like Cleveland this season) against the number two defense (Oklahoma City), it’s about 1% better than average. However, the Cavaliers surpassed their season-long efficiency, shooting 52% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers, while the Thunder (53% from the field, 35.5% on 3-pointers) were not far behind. It’s unlikely we’ll see both teams shoot with such accuracy in Oklahoma City.
Wind horst: I would be surprised if the Thunder allowed 129 points on their home court. The Cavs were able to beat them repeatedly with the “second pass,” particularly when they came out of pick-and-rolls and beat Oklahoma City’s help defense around the rim. It led to a lot of deep entry passes for easy baskets or situations where the Thunder had to foul. I hope you are better prepared for that next week.
Was this a preview of the Finals?
Good weather: It could be, something I probably wouldn’t have said 24 hours ago. Cleveland showed a lot in this game. Mobley showed that he is a sure All-Star. The Cavaliers took every hit from the Thunder and threw a harder one. The result was a 32nd victory in 36 games. I wrote about the comparisons between this team and the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors before Wednesday. Those Warriors came out of nowhere, were doubted that entire season, and finally won a title. I won’t say Cleveland will do that now, but I will say the Cavaliers are good enough to make it until June.
Pelton: I would still bet against it even odds. Projections using ESPN’s Basketball Power Index give these teams the two best chances to make the Finals and still show this specific matchup occurring only 35% of the time. I would pick the Boston Celtics over the Cavaliers to win the East. Although the Thunder are the clear favorites in the West, there are many things that can happen to change that between now and the end of May.
Wind horst: I don’t say a bad word about any of these teams out of respect after seeing that display. I’m not predicting the January finals either. But I’ll give you this: There has been more than one championship team I’ve seen in the last two decades that couldn’t beat these two.
