Thunder Demolish Cavaliers in 'The Rematch' with 134-114 Win

Jalen Williams finished the third quarter with a stepback mid-range shot only a millisecond before the clock expired. It was the finishing touches for OKC's outstanding victory in a season full of victories.

The Oklahoma City Thunder easily defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 134-114 on Thursday night in a game between two of the NBA's greatest teams. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points and 8 rebounds in three quarters.

Last week, Cleveland defeated the other team 129–122. But that victory looked like a long history for the rematch at the Paycom Centre. By 2:17 of the third quarter, the Thunder were ahead by 42 points 115-73. During an NBA Finals teaser titled "The Rematch," OKC made it into a prank and a follow-up to its first thrilling battle.

Players Performance

Luguentz Dort went 6-for-9 on 3-point attempts for 22 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 8 rebounds and a game-high 40 points. Jalen Williams contributed 19 points with 6 rebounds and three steals.

Darius Garland headed the Cavaliers with 20 points and nine rebounds but received little support. Jarrett Allen contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. Ty Jerome scored 12 points off the bench and made two of three three-pointers. Donovan Mitchell only made three out of fifteen shots from the field and finished with a season-low eight points.

With the win, the Thunder and Cavaliers shared the best record in the NBA.

Highlights of the Match

This victory is even more remarkable because Oklahoma City was without both of its seven-footers, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Although the Cavaliers had two of their own seven-footers on the court, this pushed the Thunder to play short and change everything, which confused the Cavaliers.

First Quarter:

The Thunder had an incredible 22-2 run at the end of the quarter. They led 32–14 at the end of the first quarter. It increased its lead from two points to 24 points. The defence of the Thunder was as good as it gets. The Cavaliers had a turnover on every other play. The game was unofficially finished before Cleveland could even understand what had happened.

Second Quarter:

In the second quarter, the Thunder scored 43 points, giving them a huge 75-49 lead going into halftime. Cleveland lost the heavyweight match between the top two clubs in the league before it even progressed to the halfway point.

Third Quarter:

The Thunder fans turned the third quarter into an unexpected party. OKC didn't have to worry about an impossible comeback because they were up to a 42-point lead. To ensure that, they scored 44 points in the third frame. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended another contest early with 40 points in three quarters.

Fourth Quarter:

It was like an OKC Blue game in the fourth quarter. Not a single second was recorded by any of the Thunder starters. The Cavaliers made every effort to improve the final score. They overcame a huge gap by scoring 33 points in wasted time.