OKC Thunder dominate Cavs with ability to adapt

For an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is 34-6, there has been no shortage of adversity this season. The unapologetic Thunder have had to navigate without Chet Holmgren for the majority of the regular season, Alex Caruso missing over ten games, Isaiah Hartenstein in street clothes with two different week-plus long stints now, and rookie contributor Ajay Mitchell out of the game for the next 10-12 weeks. Not to mention starting the year without key reserves Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams in the process.

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, the team with the best record in the NBA entering tonight, the Thunder faced an uphill battle. Oklahoma City was down to Holmgren and Hartenstein against two top-15 big men in the league. The Thunder won 134-114 in a game that was worse than the lopsided score indicates.

This was against the background of what the Thunder have often shown: A unique ability to adapt to circumstances and dictate games.

“They imposed their will,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson put it simply after the game. “We knew it was coming. We knew their strength was coming. That’s their identity. It was an avalanche and we never reacted.”

Against the two Cavs big men, the Thunder lacked height, but they didn’t lack heart. Oklahoma City not only imposed its will, but also embarrassed Cleveland by patching them in the effort, hustle and scrap category.

So much so that Atkinson fought fire with fire, moving Mobley and Allen off the floor in favor of going small. That didn’t work either.

“We tried to go small to get back into it, but then we lost our rim protection… our tactical adjustments didn’t work… it was one of those nights where nothing worked,” Atkinson told the media after this match.

Check mate.

“Our whole goal was just to be so good at playing small that they tried to go small,” Thunder Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. there…When the game gets small, that’s our game, our style, and we were able to hold them off the rest of the night.”

After the Cavs’ big men accounted for 16 minutes each in the first half of last Wednesday’s contest between these two teams, they played 18 total minutes in the rematch, just 13 each before halftime.

Cleveland’s bench boss summed it up well, the Thunder imposed their will by adjusting to the seven-foot holes left by Oklahoma City’s two centers in street clothes and dictating how this game was played. Forces Atkinson to play Thunder’s style.

“I thought last week we were behind the ball and they just outplayed us last week. Tonight we were more on fire defensively. We were sharper in our attack and downhill against them and got the ball in front of them tonight . We did a great job of understanding what the game needed to be in our favor and going out and executing it,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game.

Hands up, this writer – like many others – picked Cleveland to win this game. While they acknowledged there was a way — albeit one with little room for error — for the Thunder to pull off an impressive victory.

In addition to working with Cleveland on the defensive end, creating turnovers, never giving up loose balls and hitting rebounds and discombobulating the Cavs scorers, the Thunder played a perfect offensive game.

In the first half, when the Thunder lead grew to more than 20, Oklahoma City shot 57.9% from 3-point land. That will do it.

At least Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the MVP he was billed for getting 40 points in three quarters. Lu Dort continued to be “Big game Lu,” en route to 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Jalen Williams chipped in 19 points, Isaiah Joe tossed in 12 and even ten-day contract center Branden Carlson set a career high with 11 including six points in the opening frame – the first time in his NBA career that he got significant minutes.

Not only did the physicality and hustle become the deciding factor in deciding a win, and not only did the Thunder make the necessary adjustments defensively, but Oklahoma City adapted to Cleveland’s style.

The Cavs threw out a zone defense in the fourth quarter last week that spoiled the game and shut down the Thunder’s offense. Cleveland rightfully went back to that zone in this contest — to no avail.

“The last time (Cleveland() zoned us, we didn’t really attack,” Jalen Williams said, “Now we just played. If we make a mistake, which we do, we just have to get better through that experience and embrace being zoned up. We did a good job of finding open spaces and making shots.”

In 12 half-court possessions in the fourth quarter of last Wednesday’s contest between these two teams, the Thunder went 4-for-9 from the field and coughed up three turnovers to seal the Cavs victory. Does this go around? Cleveland deployed a half-court zone just nine times, with the Thunder generating an outstanding 1,667 points per possession. possession. Score one for adaptability.

Of the 34 wins, this may be the most impressive, but it is rooted in consistent traits and habits that the Thunder have built under Mark Daigneault and with this core.

Song of the day: Oklahoma Hills by Buck Owens

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