Thunder vs. Cavaliers: Highlights from Cleveland’s impressive win

As we approach the midway point of the regular season, three teams in the NBA stand out as real contenders. This doesn’t mean all three will find themselves in the conference finals, nor is it to say another team won’t enter the picture. But right now, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be a notch above everyone else.

The Thunder and Cavs met on Wednesday night, with both on 25-game winning streaks (15 straight for the Thunder, 10 for the Cavs), and the Cavs took care of business, extending their streak with a 129-122 win.

These are matchups that could also decide who will face each other in June. The Thunder disposed of the Celtics on Sunday night – somewhat convincingly – and offered a delicious subplot for this marquee game.

Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday night’s game that could prove important down the line:

SGA understands its responsibility

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the league’s best players and an MVP candidate, once again displayed the combination of his 6-foot-6 frame, patient offense and sublime court vision to constantly probe Cleveland’s defense. He finished with 31 points on 13-of-27 shooting.

The 26-year-old is one of the most potent and fluid two-way stars in the league and looks almost certain to average 30-plus points over the next few years by being fundamentally sound and shooting within the flow of the offense.

That said, when the Thunder go through offensive droughts, Gilgeous-Alexander will occasionally step outside the offense and call his own number on consecutive possessions, which is, after all, the role of a superstar. Against the Cavs, with the lead constantly changing hands, the All-NBA guard largely decided to take matters into his own hands.

Caves that take advantage of depth

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has dialed down the minutes for his starters, with only Donovan Mitchell hitting 31 per game. match. Atkinson relies on depth, with Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome playing significant minutes off the bench while being counted on as legitimate offensive contributors who make room.

Strus was a constant outside presence all game, hitting five triples, scoring 17 points and further proving how important his return is to Cleveland’s Finals chances. Strus missed the first 28 games of the season and has now returned to the lineup, where his shooting often serves as the glue between the four Cavs stars.

OKC could really use Chet Holmgren

Tordenmissen Chet Holmgren, period. While Isaiah Hartenstein has done an admirable job — which is also expected for someone making $30 million this season — Holmgren’s presence would have drastically changed the dynamic of Oklahoma City’s interior game as they went up against Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

This is not to say that Hartenstein did not play well. He did, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, clogging the paint well defensively and swinging the ball effectively. His lithe 7-foot frame and sneaky athleticism remain the biggest defensive assets on the interior for the Thunder. Needless to say, he’s not the same caliber of floor spacer as Holmgren, which means there’s a wrinkle in the matchup between these two teams we didn’t get to see.

The two teams play again on January 16, and while Holmgren is increasing his physical activity, it remains to be seen whether he will be free that day. Even if he is, he would more than likely play in a limited capacity.

Evan Mobley pledges

Evan Mobley continues to be the X-factor for Cleveland. When he’s active around the rim, scrambling for rebounds and second-chance points, he puts tremendous pressure on opponents. When he tries to create too much on the perimeter and over dribble, those are possessions that don’t go through the hands of Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Mobley, who scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had seven assists, is having a career season, but his offense needs to take another leap in the coming years. He’s currently sharing the offensive load with some heavy hitters, but there are shots that he can chase down during a game that are there for him if he wants them. As a 7-footer with strong ball-handling skills, the sky is truly the limit for him. But he has to seek it.

All-Star Jalen Williams?

Jalen Williams is the best player in the league no one outside of Thunder fans really talks about. The 6-5 Swiss Army Knife plays up to four positions, averages 20.6 points on the season and serves as the secondary creator who often flies under the radar.

Williams, who finished with 25 points and nine assists, got off to a hot start, scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds in the first five minutes as he tried to set the tone. His wide, physical frame absorbs contact, allowing him to finish plays through traffic, giving the Thunder a notable cutting presence to take pressure off Gilgeous-Alexander.

With the Thunder as good as they are, it’s hard to argue against Williams as a true All-Star candidate this season. Some guys might put up more eye-popping numbers, but in terms of impact, Williams has a strong case.

Donovan Mitchell is taking it easy

Donovan Mitchell is clearly saving himself for the postseason. His scoring average of 23.3 points is modest by his standards, but that is apparently by design. Mitchell spent years scoring at ridiculously high rates in Utah, as well as during his first two seasons in Cleveland, only to now fall back and rely more on the abundance of talent on the roster.

That doesn’t mean Mitchell isn’t still as potent a scorer as before. The Thunder clearly revolved around him in their game plan, rotating Gilgeous-Alexander and sophomore Cason Wallace on him. He got off to a terrible start, going 0-for-6 until getting his first points with 1:53 left in the first half. He finished 3 of 16 from the floor for 11 points and will undoubtedly look for a better start when these two teams meet again.

Darius Garland is back

Garland played an exquisite game despite a modest streak of 18 points and seven assists, continuing to bounce back from a down year last season. The 6-2 lead guard is one of the most efficient scoring guards in the NBA, but what’s remarkable is how the game has slowed down for him. In the past, he often tried to force the issue by taking rash shots and making questionable decisions with the ball. But this season under Atkinson, Garland has played the point guard role beautifully while taking full advantage of Cleveland’s fast-paced offense.

It seems increasingly likely that Garland’s optimized role moving forward will always be tailored to a fast-paced offense where he can set the tone, dictate the pace and take quick shots off the dribble, be it from three or getting to the cup . Garland is only playing 30 minutes per game this season, allowing the former All-Star to go all-out in the minutes he is on the floor. For a guy who was in trade rumors last June, this has been a huge twist to his story. Garland finding new life in Cleveland under a new head coach is largely what has allowed the Cavs to be as dominant as they have been this season.

SGA much like MJ?

During the NBA playoffs last year, plenty of media outlets were busy comparing Minnesota shooting guard Anthony Edwards to Michael Jordan, but are we sure Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t the more appropriate player to be compared to?

The sheer amount of moves and counter moves in Gilgeous-Alexander’s arsenal tends to take one back to Jordan’s advanced footwork and how he operated in the center post. Turnaround fadeaways, midrange pull-ups, up-and-unders and the relentlessness of attacking the rim while contorting his body in a variety of ways seem to highlight Gilgeous-Alexander as a potentially better example to make in comparison to Jordan.

Jarrett Allen raises the flat

Allen remains criminally underrated. The 7-foot center is often billed as a rim-runner, but it’s his overall post presence that stands out. His keen understanding of timing, when to roll, when to scale back and when to duck into the dunker spot is a key offensive component for Cleveland. The former All-Star had an efficient 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in the half and finished the game with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, sending the eternal reminder to people tuning in that he is one of the best two-way centers in the NBA.

Allen is converting nearly 70% from the field on the season, and that’s because 91.9% of his shots are within 10 feet of the basket, giving the Cavs an elite game-ending component that allows Mobley to roam free offensively. .

What do the Thunder need?

The Thunder could stand to find more shooting at the trade deadline. The Cavs had some success getting into the zone, forcing the Thunder to face the reality that while they have solid shooters, they don’t have any bigger zone busters who can consistently space the floor. This does not mean that they need a chucker, but if they find a guy who is constantly ready to shoot the catch, without a conscience, it would not be the worst thing in the world.