In what was hyped to be a huge rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers, OKC took the liberty of pummeling and grinding the Cavs on both ends of the floor, leading to a promising 134-114 victory for the Thunder in a game that looked like it was going to be an intense one to begin with.

Instead, OKC rained down 18 threes, created massive plays of 25 assists while forcing a total of 21 turnovers from the Cavaliers, including a whopping 12 steals. The Thunder played without two of its best players in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, and yet they were only outrebounded by 10 boards and even had the same total of points in the paint as the Cavs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 40 points in just three quarters – and a total of 29 minutes played, along with eight assists and two steals. He shot 17-of-26 from the field and led the charge for the Thunder from start to finish. This also marks the fifth time that Gilgeous-Alexander did not play the fourth quarter due to a blowout.

OKC Dominance

In a matchup of teams between teams with the best records in the NBA, the Thunder did not look back as they managed to blow a 32-14 lead in just the first quarter alone. OKC kept building the lead and even finished with a 75-49 lead at halftime, but the onslaught did not stop there as the Thunder kept on building as the lead swelled to 115-73 – the biggest of the night, a margin of 42 points.

Aside from SGA’s efficient masterclass, Jalen Williams scored 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists to help in the winning effort – while also leading the Thunder in steals and blocks with three and two, respectively. OKC had a total of six players in double-figures, but it was their defense that proved to be the x-factor in the victory as they clamped the Cavaliers right from the start.

Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were expected to dominate the game and were even predicted to have 20+ points each, instead, the duo finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and an assist combined 8/13 from the field. Allen did not miss a field goal, but it was Mobley who struggled to impose his presence with just 2/7 shooting for five points. It can be remembered that they hammered the Thunder in their previous win at home.

OKC did not have a starting center to begin with, but Branden Carlson, who was on a 10-day contract with the team, was inserted in the lineup in the middle of the first quarter with the Cavs up 12-10. He would score two big threes to help OKC take the lead further and build a 22-2 run to finish the first quarter. Carlson finished with a total of three threes while shooting 50% from the field for 11 points.

Big Game Lu

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficient performance was the main highlight of the game, it was Luguentz Dort who brought in the hurricane for OKC. Dort drilled six threes on nine attempts and shot 72.7% from the field overall, and he had a steal and a block to add to the stat sheet.

However, it was his defense that proved to be pivotal in the win. Dort was on Donovan Mitchell all night, and he held the Cavs guard to just eight points on 3/15 shooting, previously having the same at 3/16 in Cleveland. Mitchell was a 28 for the night as he could not find a way to make an impact.

At this point, OKC now extends its winning streak to four games in a row, including 19 of the last 20 games and a 10-game winning streak at home. They also ended the Cavaliers’ undefeated streak against the Western Conference, including a six-game road winning streak.