Was that a potential NBA Finals preview?
The Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rare matchup. Prior to tip off, the two teams were the first in 53 years to each have 30-plus wins through 35 games in the same season.
Oklahoma City entered on a 15-game winning streak while Cleveland came in with 10 straight wins, though it was the latter that extended its run with a 129-122 victory.
The Thunder jumped to a decent 32-25 lead after the first quarter, but Cleveland responded with a 37-27 second period that intensified the back-and-forth affair the rest of the way.
Donovan Mitchell was expected to keep leading his side in a big matchup, but that did not go as planned. Mitchell only recorded 11 points on 3 of 16 overall shooting, with Jarrett Allen's 25 points (9 of 11 shooting) and Evan Mobley's 21 points (8 of 13 shooting) anchoring the team.
But the bench also provided Cleveland a significant lift, as Max Strus added 17 points and Ty Jerome 15, both on 6 of 7 shooting. Strus drilled 5 of 6 triples in 26 minutes, with fellow wing Caris LeVert chipping in with eight points.
Oklahoma City had to endure the fight without star center Chet Holmgren, who is still out with a rare hip injury. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to do what he does best, scoring 31 points on 13 of 27 shooting. Jalen Williams supplied a fantastic all-around effort, posting 25 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block on 9 of 17 scoring.
NBA
Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace, two more starters, also recorded double-digit points but the bench didn't bolster the team as much as Cleveland on the night.
Among the four reserves, only Aaron Wiggins eclipsed double-digit figures with 11 points in 22 minutes on 5 of 7 shooting. Alex Caruso was also ruled out with a hip injury.
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Cleveland moved to 32-4, a current NBA-best record. The reigning champion Boston Celtics are currently six games behind out East.
Oklahoma City dropped to 30-6, but still has a decent lead as the No. 1 seed out West with the Houston Rockets trailing at 24-12.
With the two teams only meeting twice in the regular season, the reverse fixture won't be a long wait. In fact, Oklahoma City will host Cleveland on Thursday, Jan. 16 for a chance at revenge.
Only time will tell if both teams can sustain their current form and embark on a deep postseason run to meet again in the NBA Finals.
