Cleveland pushed its winning streak to 11 games and ended Oklahoma City’s 15-game winning streak in the process.
In a high-profile matchup featuring the two teams with the two best records in the NBA, the product exceeded the hype.
The Cavaliers and their No. 1 offensive defeated the Thunder and their No. 1 defense, 129-122, in a game that had 30 lead changes, eight ties and high-level performances befitting two teams with championship aspirations.
Playing at home, the Cavaliers overcame Donovan Mitchell’s off night (11 points on 3-for-16 shooting), relying on a team effort, especially offensively, that pushed their record to 32-4.
Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 25 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals, and teammate Evan Mobley delivered 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Max Strus scored 17 points and Ty Jerome 15 points off the bench as Cleveland’s reserves outscored Oklahoma City’s 43-26.
Darius Garland had 18 points and seven assists for Cleveland, which had 36 assists on 47 made field goals, shot 52.2% from the field and 41.7% on 3-pointers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 31 points, and Jalen Williams had 25 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Thunder. Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
The two teams meet again on Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City.
Cavaliers vs. Thunder highlights
Cavaliers 123, Thunder 118: Game heading into final minutes
The first part of the fourth quarter was frenetic and sloppy but that happens sometimes with two teams who solid offensively and defensively.
Can Donovan Mitchell bust out of his shooting slump? Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander add to his MVP-caliber resume? Who will continue their winning streak?
End of third quarter: Cavaliers 103, Thunder 102
If the final 12 minutes of Thunder-Cavaliers is like what transpired in the first 36 minutes, we’re in for a treat in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland takes a 103-102 lead into the fourth quarter.
Eight of the 10 starters have reached double figures in points with Jarrett Allen (24 points, 10 rebounds, two steals) leading Cleveland and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25 points) and Jalen Williams (23 points) leading Oklahoma City.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell remains stuck offensively – just eight points on 2-for-13 shooting, but Max Strus has picked up the scoring with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers.
Oklahoma City center Isaiah Hartenstein, one of the team’s savvy offseason acquisitions, inched closer to a triple-double – 14 points, eight assists and nine rebounds. His addition this season has helped soften the absence of injured center Chet Holmgren who has been sidelined the past two months with a hip injury.
Cavs leading back-and-forth game
In a game that continues to go back and forth, the Cavaliers possess an 87-81 lead with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter. Jarrett Allen has 21 points and seven rebounds and Darius Garland has 16 points and six assists for the Cavaliers.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just 1-for-6 on 3-pointers but he’s 9-for-15 inside the arc and has a game-high 23 points. Jalen Williams has 18 points for OKC.
Cleveland is shooting 53.3% from the field and 39.1% on 3s and has made more free throws (14) than Oklahoma City has attempted (nine).
Halftime: Cavaliers 62, Thunder 59
The matchup of the two best teams in the NBA has lived up to the hype through two quarters. Cleveland leads Oklahoma City, 62-59, at halftime of a game that has had 12 lead changes and five ties.
Thunder MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is game’s leading scorer with 16 points, and he also has two rebounds, two assists and two steals, and teammate Jalen Williams, who is an candidate to make his first All-Star team, has 13 points.
The Cavaliers’ twin towers of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have combined for 27 points — Allen has 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Mobley added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell struggled offensively, making just 1-for-8 attempts, and he didn’t score until he made a free throw with 1:53 left in the second quarter. His dunk with 12.6 seconds left in the first half gave the Cavs their three-point halftime lead.
Both teams shot 48.9% from the field and 35.3% on 3s.
Donovan Mitchell scoreless midway through second quarter
In a game featuring teams that are ranked in the top eight in offense and defense, there’s been a solid mix of both so far. Oklahoma City has a 49-48 advantage lead with 5:04 remaining in the second quarter, and Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who should be an All-Star this season, has contributed a team-high 11 points along with three rebounds, one assists, one steal and one block. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league’s top scorers, has 10 points.
Evan Mobley has 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Max Strus and Jarrett Allen each have nine points for Cleveland. Cavs star Donovan Mitchell remains scoreless, missing his six shot attempts.
End of first quarter: Thunder 32, Cavaliers 25
Eight Thunder players played in the first quarter and all eight scored, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s eight points, two assists, two rebounds and one steal as the Thunder owned a 32-25 lead after one quarter. Jalen Williams added seven points, three rebounds and a steal for OKC.
Four Cavs players combined for 22 of their points: Max Strus and Jarrett Allen each scored six points, and Dean Wade and Darius Garland each have five points. The Cavs, who have the No. 1 offense and are one of the best passing teams in the NBA, also have nine assists on nine made field goals.
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell was scoreless in the first quarter on 0-for-4 shooting.
Cavs start hot, cool off from 3-point range
One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, Cleveland made two quick 3s to start the game but then missed its next four as Oklahoma City grabbed a 12-10 lead with 6:33 remaining in the first quarter. Thunder forward Jalen Williams has a game-high seven point plus three rebounds.
When is Cavaliers-Thunder game?
Opening tip will be Wednesday, Jan. 8 at about 7 p.m. ET.
Where is Cavaliers-Thunder game?
The Cavaliers will host the Thunder from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
How to watch Cavaliers-Thunder game on TV
The game will be televised on ESPN.
How to stream Cavaliers-Thunder game
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
ESPN alters pregame show due to Los Angeles wildfires
With the wildfires in Southern California, ESPN’s regular ‘NBA Countdown’ crew featuring Malika Andrews was not on the air since the usual studio is in Los Angeles. ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi and Elle Duncan hosted the pregame show at the network’s Bristol, Connecticut, studios.
Cavaliers vs Thunder odds, line
The Cleveland Cavaliers are favorites to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder during their regular-season matchup Wednesday, according to the BetMGM odds.
Spread: Cavaliers (-2.5)
Moneyline: Cavaliers (-140); Thunder (+115)
Over/under: 229.5
Cavaliers starting five
PG, Darius Garland
SG, Donovan Mitchell
SF, Dean Wade
PF, Evan Mobley
C, Jarrett Allen
Thunder starting five
PG, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG, Cason Wallace
SF, Luguentz Dort
PF, Jalen Williams
C, Isaiah Hartenstein
Is Thunder center Chet Holmgren playing vs. the Cavaliers?
Thunder center Chet Holmgren is not in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers, and he hasn’t played since Nov. 10 when he sustained a right iliac wing (hip) fracture against Golden State. In 10 games this season, Holmgren averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and shot 50.5% from the field and 37.8% on 3-pointers.
Holmgren, the 22-year-old second-year big man who played at Gonzaga, is expected to return this season, and the Thunder planned to give an update on his return-to-play protocol this month.
In the game before the injury, he had 29 points on 8-for-14 shooting, five rebounds and three blocks in a victory against Houston. The Thunder will welcome him back but they have excelled in his absence, going 22-3 without him.
Putting the records and streaks into perspective
Cleveland and Oklahoma City are the only two NBA teams with at least 30 victories, and it’s just the second time in NBA history that two teams have 30 wins in their first 35 games. The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks did it in 1971-72 with the Lakers defeating the Bucks in the Western Conference finals and winning the title against the New York Knicks.
It’s just the third time in NBA history that two teams with a winning percentage of .850 or better have met this late into a season and it’s the first time two teams from different conferences with a winning percentage of .850 or better have played this late into a season.
This matchup also marks the first time in league a team with a 15-game winning streak faces a team with a 10-game winning streak.
Cavaliers vs. Thunder all-time record
The Cavaliers and Thunder have played 123 times against each other in the regular season, with Oklahoma City leading the series 71-52. This includes when the Thunder were known as the Seattle Supersonics from 1970-2008. This is their first meeting this season. The last time they played was Nov. 8 of last season with the Thunder winning at home, 128-120. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 43 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. The Thunder were 2-0 against the Cavs last season.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on Cavaliers game
“They’re all 1 of 82 as I always talk about, but this one’s cool. They’re the best team in the league. It’s on their home court. They’re playing really well. We’re obviously playing really well. So it’s a unique opportunity to compete against a great team, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson on Thunder game
“It’s why you play the game, for these big games. It’s fun for the teams involved, but it’s fun for the fans — and it’s great for the NBA. Our guys are really looking forward to it, but we’re not treating this like it’s the Finals. This is a regular season game. It’s a test. We want feedback. We want to see where we are against the best. How does their style match against our style? Both of our games against OKC would be a great, great, great evaluation for where we are against the elite teams.”
Eastern Conference standings
Through Tuesday, Jan. 7
Cleveland Cavaliers 31-4
Boston Celtics 27-10
New York Knicks 24-13
Orlando Magic 22-16
Milwaukee Bucks 18-16
Miami Heat 18-17
Atlanta Hawks 19-18
Indiana Pacers 19-18
Detroit Pistons 18-18
Chicago Bulls 17-19
Philadelphia 76ers 14-20
Brooklyn Nets 13-23
Charlotte Hornets 8-27
Toronto Raptors 8-28
Washington Wizards 6-28
Western Conference standings
Through Tuesday, Jan. 7
Oklahoma City Thunder 30-5
Houston Rockets 24-12
Memphis Grizzlies 24-13
Denver Nuggets 20-15
Dallas Mavericks 21-16
Los Angeles Lakers 20-16
Los Angeles Clippers 20-16
Minnesota Timberwolves 19-17
San Antonio Spurs 18-18
Golden State Warriors 18-18
Sacramento Kings 18-19
Phoenix Suns 16-19
Portland Trail Blazers 12-23
Utah Jazz 9-26
New Orleans Pelicans 7-30
NBA season predictions
The experts at USA TODAY Network offer predictions for the season ahead, including which team will lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Jeff Zillgitt: Celtics over Thunder
Scooby Axson: Celtics over Timberwolves
Lorenzo Reyes: Nuggets over Knicks
Damichael Cole: Thunder over Celtics
Dustin Dopirak: Celtics over Nuggets
Jim Owczarski: Thunder over Celtics
Duane Rankin: Celtics over Timberwolves
Heather Tucker: Celtics over Suns
NBA MVP candidates
Who is this year’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the next player to move deep into the NBA MVP conversation? Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the top candidates.