Cavaliers vs Thunder
Mon, Jan 19
Final
Cavaliers
Cavaliers
(24 - 19)
104
-
136
Thunder
Thunder
(35 - 8)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavaliers | 27 | 24 | 28 | 25 | 104 |
| Thunder | 32 | 34 | 25 | 45 | 136 |
Venue: Rocket Arena
GAME LEADERS
PTS
REB
AST
Jaylon Tyson
CLE | #20 | G/F
16
10
4
Chet Holmgren
OKC | #7 | C/F
28
8
2
Smart Game Analysis
Oklahoma City Thunder has a 58% chance of winning the game
Despite missing Jalen Williams, the Thunder's top-ranked defense and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP-caliber play give them the edge over a Cavaliers squad missing their primary playmaker Darius Garland.
Key Analysis
- • Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams is out with a hamstring strain, but Cleveland is equally hampered by the expected absence of starting point guard Darius Garland due to a toe injury.
- • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8 PPG) leads the league's second-best offense and holds a slight production edge over Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell (29.2 PPG).
- • The Thunder possess the NBA's best defensive rating (106.8) and allow nearly 10 fewer points per game than Cleveland's 21st-ranked defense.
- • Oklahoma City has been dominant on the road with a 15-4 record and will be highly motivated to bounce back after a narrow two-point loss to Miami.
- • Cleveland's recent success relied on a career-high 39 points from rookie Jaylon Tyson, a performance unlikely to be repeated against the Thunder's elite perimeter defenders.
- • To pull off the upset, the Cavaliers must exploit the absence of Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein by dominating the paint with Evan Mobley.
