A review from start to finish. That was the impressive performance by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who steamrolled the Cleveland Cavaliers 134-114, leading by more than 40 points and more than avenging their loss to Cleveland last week.
The leaders of the West and the East met again after last Wednesday the Cavaliers took the victory by 129-122 in a thrilling, intense game and certainly one of the most exciting games of the NBA season so far.
This is how Noah Scurry, who was killed at the age of 17, used to play
Fans were looking forward to another high-voltage duel, but the rematch had nothing to do with that encounter because the Thunder (34-6), imperious and ruthless, set about tearing the Cavaliers (34-6) apart from the opening jump with a majestic Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who already has the MVP within his grasp.
All the statistical sections reflected the colossal thrashing of the Thunder, but as a summary it is enough to note that Oklahoma was already winning 32-14 in the first quarter, that in the second period it came to have a +26 and that its maximum difference tonight was +42 in the third episode.
More arguments to fear the Thunder? Mark Daigneault’s side sealed this memorable victory with their two starting centers injured: Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Far from a fiery face-off between two ring-savvy contenders, Oklahoma handled the game at will and humiliated the Cavaliers as if they were just another team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “I don’t need free throws. When they come, it’s an advantage, but I don’t need them”
Shai signed his umpteenth exhibition with 40 points (17 of 26 shooting) and eight assists in just 29 minutes, as, like the rest of the figures of both teams, he did not play the last quarter because by then everything was already resolved.
“I don’t need free throws. When they come, it’s an advantage, but I don’t need them,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game, in which he made all five free throws he attempted and made 17 of 26 field goals.
Luguentz Dort (22 points with a huge 6 of 9 on three-pointers) and Jalen Williams (19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals) also stood out for the Thunder who, in the first three periods, shone with 60.3% shooting from the field and 45.7% on three-pointers (16 of 35).
In addition, Oklahoma’s fascinating defense disarmed the best offense in the league, so much so that the Cavaliers committed 21 turnovers that led to 30 points for the Thunder.
With all that, the Cavaliers endured a nightmare at the Paycom Center. Only Darius Garland (20 points and 9 assists) and Jarrett Allen (13 points and 7 rebounds) raised their voices while Donovan Mitchell (8 points and a ruinous 3 of 15 shooting) and Evan Mobley (5 points on 2 of 7) were terrible.
The 15-33 scoreline in the final quarter, when there was nothing at stake and all the substitutes were on the court, allowed Cleveland to put some gloss on a disastrous evening.
Only in the opening minutes did the Cavaliers show anything resembling a plan. In the absence of Hartenstein and with Holmgren still recovering, Kenny Atkinson’s side hit the paint with Allen as the battering ram and crashed the offensive boards.
But they soon ran headlong into Oklahoma’s gigantic defensive wall and suffered no less than seven turnovers in the first quarter.
Growing from their defense and perfectly controlling the tempo, the Thunder were led by Shai, who was fantastic with 15 points in the first period. In addition, Isaiah Joe and Branden Carlson added two triples apiece off the bench and Oklahoma closed the first quarter with a monumental 22-2 run for 32-14.
Shai alone was enough with 15 points to surpass the 14 in total of all the Cavaliers.
The visitors’ attack was a drama, totally stuck, with errors in every possession and with unmistakable signs of impotence and frustration.
The Cavaliers were a completely overwhelmed and blurred team, nothing like the lethal team that is amazing this season in the NBA. Only Garland offered minimal resistance with 15 sterile points in the second quarter.
The Thunder, on the other hand, continued with the machinery in full swing. Shai was still on a heavenly level (11 points in the second quarter) and at his side everyone did their bit: 10 points from Dort, eight from Williams, another eight from Alex Caruso…
The 75-49 half-time score left the game all but decided. By then, Oklahoma had made 60.9% of its shots and 57.9% of its three-pointers (a fabulous 11 of 19) and had forced 13 turnovers from the Cavaliers.
The difference only grew and grew after the restart, so Cleveland waved the white flag and withdrew its stars in the middle of the third quarter while the Thunder continued to savor a wonderful victory for a season that aims high in Oklahoma
