On Jan. 8, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-122.
This was a matchup of two similarly built titans. Both teams are young and led by a strong backcourt. For some time, they have had the two best records in the NBA. Looking ahead to June, a Cavs-Thunder NBA Finals could very well be the matchup.
It would be both teams’ first look at the NBA Finals in a while. The Thunder last got to the big stage in 2012 behind the big four of James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka. Three of those four would become MVPs, but none brought a ring to OKC.
The Cavs last reached the NBA Finals in 2018 behind the heroic efforts of LeBron James. James brought the Cavs a ring in one of four seasons in his second stint there. However, injuries plagued the team in 2015, and a Warriors team with a big four in 2017 and a big five in 2018 was just too tall a mountain to climb.
The Cavs have only one ring in franchise history, and the Thunder haven’t captured one since they relocated to Oklahoma City. Both organizations have the talent and the “why” to go the distance.
But let’s get back to their first regular-season matchup. How did the best offensive team in the NBA edge out the best defensive team?
Spreading The Wealth
All hands were on deck for the Cavs in this matchup. Seven players scored in double figures, while the Thunder had five. Five players in double figures is normally solid, but it didn’t cut it in this game.
As many would expect, Donovan Mitchell took more shots than any other Cavalier. However, he scored only 11 points on his 16 shots.
Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Max Strus and Ty Jerome were big-time in filling the void Mitchell left. Mobley and Allen scored 21 and 25 points on 8/13 and 9/11 shooting, respectively.
Not only that, they both had double-doubles and plenty of assists, including some from one twin tower to the other. Mobley ended the game with 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Allen finished the game with 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Strus and Jerome’s impacts were notable because of their efficiency. Both were 6/7 from the field, and Strus was a whopping 5/6 from deep.
Off-Ball Movement
The Cavs’ off-ball movement was nothing short of exquisite against the Thunder. Plenty of cuts provided easy buckets that even the top-notch Thunder defense could not defend.
The Cavs also created chaos off the ball to get open looks from downtown. They converted their three-point attempts at a 41.7% rate.
OKC Turns The Tables
On Jan. 16, the Cavs did not have the same success.
The Thunder blew them out, 134-114. At the end of the third quarter, the Cavalier deficit was even larger at 38 points. Cleveland only cut the lead to 20 by playing better than OKC in garbage time.
The turnover battle was one of the Cavs’ biggest hindrances. They committed 21 turnovers compared to OKC’s six. This was partially due to the Cavs’ sloppy play, but OKC’s stifling defense did not make it any easier.
Defensively, the Cavs were all over the place. OKC got numerous open looks while the Cavs scrambled around. For a portion of the first half, the Cavs even tried playing zone, but that made matters worse. They struggled to stop the pick-and-roll, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander often took advantage of switches.
Offensively, the Cavs we’re used to seeing were nowhere to be found. The top offense in the league turned into a shell of their usual selves. Donovan Mitchell managed to pull another no-show with eight points on 3/15 shooting. Max Strus scored only three points this time around. Evan Mobley and Dean Wade combined for only 11 points.
Tempo and Efficiency
Furthermore, the Thunder pushed the pace and outnumbered the Cavs several times in transition, leading to easy fast-break points. Combine that with the seemingly unstoppable trio of SGA, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams, and that’s a recipe for disaster for OKC’s opponents. SGA scored 40 points on 65.4% shooting, Dort had 22 on 72.7% shooting, and Williams had 19 on 57.1% shooting.
If the Oklahoma City Thunder have not been scary enough already this season, they still await the return of big-man Chet Holmgren. Holmgren averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 10 games this season before suffering a hip injury.
Oh, and they also completed this rout of the Cavs without their other big man, Isaiah Hartenstein.
Adjustments
In a potential finals matchup, the Cavs must learn from their mistakes in the Jan. 16 loss and also prepare to deal with Chet Holmgren.
First, Donovan Mitchell must be on his A-game. He has played poorly for his standards in the Cavs’ biggest games this year against the Celtics and Thunder. He is the best player on the team, and it’s hard for a snake to have any bite if its head is absent.
Second, the Cavs must figure out how to defend SGA without switching. SGA has torched the Cavalier defense just about every time they switch. He’s already the MVP frontrunner. Now imagine how he’ll play if he can get a slower big man to switch on to him at will.
In an NBA Finals matchup against OKC, the Cavs MUST take care of the basketball. OKC is so good offensively that it’s hard to force turnovers, highlighting the importance of limiting turnovers on their end. The Cavs must make better decisions when moving the ball and reading the opposing defense.
As they showed on Jan. 8, this Cavaliers team can undoubtedly take down the Thunder, but nothing short of everyone at their best will suffice.
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