CLEVELAND — It’s rare to make such a definitive statement based on the outcome of a single NBA regular-season game, but then again, what’s going on between the two teams that played Wednesday night in Cleveland is… Not normal.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the best team in the league. Shut up. Let’s stand in line. They passed all the tests, defeating the league’s hottest team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, 129-122, easily living up to the hype as the league’s biggest game of the season thus far.
Jarrett Allen had 25 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals for Cleveland, perhaps the brightest of many standout individual performances from both teams. His frontcourt mate Evan Mobley had nearly identical numbers with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Darius Garland finished with 18 points and seven assists.
MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led both teams with 31 points on 27 shots. Jaylen Williams had 25 points and nine assists, and Isaiah Hartenstein had 18 points, 11 points and eight assists.
Mobley hit a 10-foot shot with 1:07 left to give the Cavs a five-point lead. On the ensuing possession, Gilgeous-Alexander missed a contested layup, but Garland made a layup with 27 seconds left to end the game.
This pincer spread featured 30 lead changes and eight ties, and featured frenetic pace and physical play on both ends of the floor. Cleveland entered the game not only with the league’s best record, but also with the NBA’s best offense, top shooting percentage, and 3-point shooting percentage. In addition to being the league’s best defensive team, the Thunder had a historic winning streak that included wins over the defending champion Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I think this is a game where we get a lot of feedback,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game. “That’s why I’m excited for this game. This is a big test — where do we stand against elite teams? … We can build on the feedback and improve.”
Thunder manager Mark Daigneault added, “I’m not discounting other games, but a game of this high level is amazing.” These are great in terms of learning your own team, what carries over against certain opponents, what doesn’t, and what needs to be improved. And the extra noise, I said this during the (NBA) Cup game, if you want to be a really good team, those are things you have to overcome. So we have to get over it and join the competition. ”
Not only has Cleveland won 11 straight games, giving them at least two more wins this season, they are now an NBA-best 32-4. The Cavs became the seventh team in league history to win at least 32 of their first 36 games.
Based on what happened on the court Wednesday night, it’s easy to say that Cleveland is arguably the best in the sport right now. Because they are winning the game. They don’t have as many wins as the Cavs.
In fact, according to data distributed by the NBA, this is only the second time in history that both teams have won at least 30 of the first 35 games, and the Cavs-Thunder matchup is the first between East Division and East Division teams. It was a match. West with a winning percentage of .850 or higher. It was also the first time a team with a 10-game winning streak faced an opponent with a 15-game winning streak.
Perhaps the best news for casual NBA fans (and league officials) is that the two teams will meet again in Oklahoma City in eight days, set to be broadcast nationally on TNT.
The Cavs won despite a rare off night from top star Donovan Mitchell, who was scoreless until 1:53 left in the second quarter, scoring 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting. . Cleveland had two great performances off the bench from Max Strus and Ty Jerome, who combined for 32 points.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
