OKLAHOMA CITY — The rematch between the NBA’s prime two heavyweights ended with an early knockout.
The ultimate rating of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s 134-114 dwelling win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday evening solely hinted at how dominant the Thunder have been in avenging a loss within the Jan. 8 thriller between the groups with the NBA’s finest data.
Within the earlier matchup, the Cavaliers pulled out a 129-122 win in a sport that featured 30 lead adjustments and wasn’t determined till the ultimate minute. The Thunder put this sport out of attain by halftime, when Oklahoma Metropolis had a 26-point lead, the most important deficit of the season for Cleveland.
The lead swelled to 42 factors within the third quarter earlier than the benches emptied.
“They imposed their will in each sense,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned after the Cavaliers dropped to 34-6, matching the Thunder’s file. “We knew it was coming. We knew their pressure was coming. That is their identification. They imposed their identification. It was an avalanche, and we by no means responded.”
Thunder famous person Shai Gilgeous-Alexander single-handedly outscored the Cavaliers by a 15-14 margin within the first quarter en path to ending with 40 factors in solely 29 minutes. He grew to become the primary participant in Thunder/SuperSonics historical past to attain 40 in fewer than half-hour, in accordance with ESPN Analysis, going 17-of-26 from the ground and in addition shelling out eight assists.
“I used to be simply taking part in basketball, the sport I really like,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned, taking part in down the notion that the latest loss to the Cavaliers supplied further motivation. “I work exhausting. Attempt to give the sport my all and see what it provides again to me.”
Oklahoma Metropolis’s top-ranked protection gave little or no to the league’s best offense, solely eight days after Cleveland had the highest-scoring outing of any Thunder opponent this season.
“It felt like seven pit bulls on the market. Not 5,” Atkinson mentioned. “They have been scratching, reaching — in a great sense. Their velocity and athleticism, they sort of toppled us over. It was that straightforward. That is their calling card. They’ve performed it to plenty of groups. They dominated in each side.”
The Thunder held the Cavaliers to 49 factors within the first half and compelled 13 turnovers that Oklahoma Metropolis transformed into 22 factors, nearly matching the Thunder’s league-leading common of 23.2 factors per sport scored off turnovers by halftime.
“That is our DNA,” mentioned Thunder star ahead Jalen Williams, who completed with 19 factors, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a pair of blocks in half-hour. “We simply attempt to play exhausting the entire time. After we can get our communication and simply our core ideas within the sport — and we did not do a great job of that the primary time we performed them and have been ready to try this tonight — and I believe that makes it exhausting for groups.”
Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell had a poor efficiency whereas being harassed by Thunder defensive stopper Lu Dort, scoring a season-low eight factors on 3-of-15 capturing. Mitchell credited the Thunder for being the “extra mentally and bodily robust staff” and mentioned blame for the Cavaliers’ abysmal efficiency ought to start with him.
Dort additionally performed a significant position on the offensive finish, scoring a season-high 22 factors and going 6-of-9 from 3-point vary.
“They simply set the tone,” mentioned Mitchell, who was held to 11 factors on 3-of-16 capturing within the latest win over the Thunder. “We did not come able to play. Put this one on me. As a frontrunner, you have to set the tone. That is twice now in opposition to this staff that I have never been that. When your chief’s not doing it, it trickles down.”
The Cavaliers’ huge tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have been nonfactors in Oklahoma Metropolis regardless of the Thunder lacking their 7-foot duo of Isaiah Hartenstein (calf pressure) and Chet Holmgren (fractured pelvis).
Allen and Mobley mixed for 18 factors, 10 rebounds and 1 help, in contrast with their manufacturing of 46 factors, 21 rebounds and 13 assists within the earlier assembly between the contenders. The Cavaliers performed vital stretches earlier than rubbish time with out both of the large males on the ground in an try and match up with Oklahoma Metropolis’s velocity.
“The apparent is that they’re larger than us, and our complete purpose was to only be so good taking part in small that they’d attempt to play small and might’t have each of them on the market on the courtroom on the similar time,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “And I believe we did a very good job of that tonight. Being dirty when the bigs introduced the ball down, getting the free balls, serving to one another out, scrambling. We clearly bought on a run, they usually needed to make some adjustments, after which as soon as the sport goes small it is just about our sport, our type.”