It was an epic sight in Paycom Center on Thursday as the two teams at the top of the West and East clashed in a battle of supremacy. Coming into the game, the Cavaliers were the hottest team in the NBA and many had them winning this game on the road. But in an impressive twist, it was the Thunder who won the game and cruised to victory in a lopsided blowout.
When the Cavaliers only scored 14 points in the first quarter, you knew what kind of night it was going to be. Very quickly, the score grew out of control as the Thunder just kept capitalizing on their opponents’ every mistake. The Thunder were in control for pretty much the entire game and only really slipped in the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout performer tonight with 40 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds on 17-26 shooting. He had some help from Luguentz Dort, who added 22 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8-11 shooting in 20 minutes. In the frontcourt, Jalen Williams finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-14 shooting.
For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland was the only bright spot with 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 9 assists on 7-10 shooting. Donovan Mitchell had a rough shooting night, totaling just 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 3-15 shooting. At center, Jarrett Allen had 13 points, and 7 rebounds in 16 minutes.
As two young teams at the top of the standings, this game was a major test to see how they stack up against the most elite competition. The Thunder responded a lot better tonight and they played with poise and major attention to detail to prove themselves as the best team in the NBA.
MVP Showing For Gilgeous-Alexander
While it’s still too early to name any leading favorites in the MVP race this year, it’s no secret that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has once again emerged as a top award candidate. He came in second place last season and is on track to challenge for the top spot if this trajectory continues.
Against the Cavaliers, Shai had one of his best games yet this season against one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. In just 29 minutes, he dropped 40 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals on 17-26 shooting. He went a perfect 5-5 from the free-throw line and was a team-high +32.
Simply put, the Cavs had no answers for Shai tonight and it completely devastated their defensive schemes. With Donovan Mitchell simultaneously shooting 20% from the field for the Cavs, it was more than enough to tip the game in favor of the home team.
Lockdown Defense Kept Cavs In Check
As Shai’s hot hand was leading the Thunder on offense, guys like Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, and Alex Caruso were shutting down the Cavaliers on the other end. Thanks to a combined team effort, the Thunder were able to live up to their current standing as the best defense in basketball.
As the top-ranked offensive team in the game right now, the Cavs average roughly 122.0 points per game this season and they are typically unguardable in the backcourt. Tonight, the Thunder held them to 46.7% shooting and 31.0% shooting from three. They forced 21 Cavs turnovers.
With so many young and athletic defenders, the Thunder are not an easy team to score on and the Cavs got a taste of that first-hand. They have so many weapons at every position that it requires a near-perfect game to beat them at full strength.
Small Ball Maximized The Offense
The Thunder were without two key frontcourt players in the game: Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. As a result, head coach Mark Daigneault decided to go small with his rotation, leaving out a traditional center from the starting five in favor of Jaylin and Jaylen Williams.
The speed, spacing, and versatility of the Thunder’s small-ball completely overwhelmed the Cavaliers and by the time they began to figure it out, the game was already nearly over. With enough depth and talent on the wing, the Thunder can afford to miss a few players because they’ll always seemingly have one or two guys ready to contribute at a moment’s notice.
Their roster allows them to be flexible with their rotations so they can play bigger or smaller like they did tonight to accommodate whatever their situation requires. Small ball can be very effective for them, especially with two of their best centers currently out of the lineup.
This was a night to forget for the Cavaliers as pretty much everything went wrong for them. In what has otherwise been an impressive season, this defeat is arguably their biggest blemish yet. But for the Thunder, the win is a sign that they are finally ready to take up the mantle as the new leaders of the West and back it up with a deep playoff run in the spring.
For now, they can only start with what’s in front of them, and that’s their next game on January 17th against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. On Sunday, January 19th, the Thunder play the Nets at Barclays Center three nights before a game against the Utah Jazz on January 22nd at the Paycom Center.
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