Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points and handed out eight assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 on Monday at Rocket Arena. The win pushed Oklahoma City to 5-2 on the season, while Cleveland fell to 4-3.
Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-for-35 from the floor and went 11-for-12 at the free-throw line, carrying the Thunder through a back-and-forth game that featured 23 lead changes. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 17 points and a game-high 11 assists, but the Cavaliers shot just 58% from the free-throw line and could not overcome a third-quarter surge from Oklahoma City.
Key Moments: How The Thunder Pulled Away
Cleveland built an early cushion behind a 30-26 first quarter, with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Tyrese Proctor combining to keep the Cavaliers ahead by as many as five points. Oklahoma City answered in the second quarter, outscoring Cleveland 33-18 to take control. Ajay Mitchell sparked the run with back-to-back baskets and a pair of free throws that pushed the Thunder lead to 43-37 with 6:05 left in the half.
Cleveland outscored Oklahoma City 36-31 in the third quarter, but the Thunder’s lead held. Oklahoma City’s largest lead of the night reached 14 points, while Cleveland never led by more than five. The Thunder’s largest lead of the night reached 14 points, while Cleveland never led by more than five. Oklahoma City’s defense forced seven Cleveland turnovers and turned them into eight points, while the Thunder committed just eight turnovers of their own despite the fast pace.
Top Performers
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 43-point, eight-assist night anchored the box score, and Isaiah Hartenstein added 14 rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes off the frontcourt rotation. Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting with five rebounds, and Aday Mara contributed 10 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes.
For Cleveland, Mitchell’s 17 points and 11 assists paced the offense, while Evan Mobley added 16 points and seven rebounds. Jarrett Allen finished with 14 points and a plus-11 rating, the best mark on either roster, and Meleek Thomas scored 17 points off the bench on 7-for-16 shooting.
What It Means
Oklahoma City improved to 5-2 and sits second in the Northwest Division standings, one game behind Portland. The Thunder also moved to 1-0 in the season series against Cleveland. The Cavaliers dropped to 4-3 and sit two games behind Detroit in the Central Division, having lost their most recent game after a four-game winning stretch.
Oklahoma City shot 43% from the field and 91% from the free-throw line, converting 21 of 23 attempts at the line. Cleveland shot a higher overall field-goal percentage at 44% and made more 3-pointers, 18 to Oklahoma City’s 12, but the Thunder dominated in the paint, outscoring the Cavaliers 50-30 on interior points and finishing with 54 rebounds to Cleveland’s 46.
What’s Next
Oklahoma City (5-2) leads the season series 1-0 against Cleveland. Cleveland (4-3) lost after a four-game winning streak.
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