The Cleveland Cavaliers started the season with a 15-game win streak. They weren’t going to let the Oklahoma City Thunder beat their record.
Cleveland kept its 11-game win streak alive with a 129-122 win over the Thunder Wednesday night. The matchup of two 30-win teams had playoff intensity and lots of scoring, with the teams combining for 84 points in the third quarter in a battle between the league’s top offense (Cleveland) and its top defense (OKC).
The difference may have come down to the closest thing the Thunder have to a weakness this season: Size. Jarrett Allen led the Cavs with 25 points, which he achieved on 9-of-11 shooting while getting to the line for 10 free throw attempts — and one postgame water bottle shower. Evan Mobley scored 21 points as the Cleveland duo combined for 22 rebounds and a surprising 13 assists.
That frontcourt dominance might change when Chet Holmgren returns from his pelvic injury for the Thunder soon. Isaiah Hartenstein had 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, but also committed five fouls. While the Cavaliers shot 15-of-36 from three-point range, only one of them came in the game’s final 10 minutes. They held on by scoring close to the hoop and getting to the line.
The Cavs managed to avoid the fate of the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, whose outshooting wilted in the face of the Thunder’s smothering defense late in losses in the past week. Down the stretch, Cleveland won a key replay challenge to get an extra possession. That was followed by Mobley and guard Darius Garland taking the ball at OKC defenders for game-icing late baskets on drives.
The game could have been an NBA Finals preview, and the battle lived up to the hype. There were 30 lead changes during the game. No team led by double digits at any point. Seven Cavs scored in double figures, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 and Jalen Williams made a strong argument for an All-Star berth with 25 points, nine assists and three steals.
This was about as good as NBA basketball gets in the second week of January. While the win gave Cleveland bragging rights and the NBA’s longest active win streak, the end of the game felt less like a conclusion and more like the opening skirmish in a much longer battle that may be settled in a seven-game series in June.
