The Cavaliers and Thunder were prizefighters beneath the gleaming Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse lights Wednesday night, jostling back-and-forth in a contest that very well could have title implications.
In the end, Cleveland held on, outlasting Oklahoma City, 129-122. The match proved one of the most enticing of the still-young NBA season — when the dust settled on the duel, the lead had changed hands 30 times and 12 players posted double-digit scoring.
Here’s what you need to know about the Cavaliers and Thunder’s joust on Wednesday night, a potential preview of the 2025 NBA Finals.
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Cavaliers vs. Thunder box score
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Cavaliers | 25 | 37 | 41 | 26 | 129 |
| Thunder | 32 | 27 | 43 | 20 | 122 |
Cavaliers stats
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3P-3PA | FT-FTA |
| Dean Wade | 21 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4-5 | 3-4 | 0-0 |
| Evan Mobley | 35 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8-13 | 0-3 | 5-7 |
| Jarrett Allen | 32 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 9-11 | 0-0 | 7-10 |
| Darius Garland | 32 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7-15 | 2-6 | 2-2 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 35 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3-16 | 2-7 | 3-4 |
| Georges Niang | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 |
| Isaac Okoro | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| Caris LeVert | 20 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3-9 | 2-5 | 0-0 |
| Ty Jerome | 12 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6-7 | 0-0 | 3-4 |
| Max Strus | 26 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6-7 | 5-6 | 0-0 |
| Jaylon Tyson | DNP | ||||||||
| JT Thor | DNP | ||||||||
| Tristan Thompson | DNP | ||||||||
| Craig Porter Jr. | DNP |
Thunder stats
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3P-3PA | FT-FTA |
| Jalen Williams | 36 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 9-17 | 2-7 | 5-7 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 31 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8-14 | 0-1 | 2-2 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 38 | 31 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13-27 | 1-6 | 4-4 |
| Luguentz Dort | 34 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2-6 | 1-3 | 2-2 |
| Cason Wallace | 31 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6-8 | 3-3 | 0-0 |
| Jaylin Williams | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Kenrich Williams | 13 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 0-0 |
| Isaiah Joe | 25 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2-6 | 2-6 | 2-2 |
| Alex Caruso | DNP | ||||||||
| Alex Ducas | DNP |
The Cavs warded off a late fourth-quarter rally from the Thunder to secure their 11th-straight victory. Donovan Mitchell struggled to find his rhythm, going 3-for-16 from the field amid constant pressure from Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort. But he got a helping hand from his fellow Cleveland counterparts, namely Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who kept possessions alive on one end and halted them on the other.
Allen and Mobley combined for 21 rebounds, nine of which were on the offensive glass. Chet Holmgren’s impact was laid bare as carom after carom found Allen and Mobley’s outstretched reach — a deciding factor in Wednesday’s final result.
How many games will Cavaliers win in 2024-25?
At 32-4, Cleveland has won nearly 90% of its contests. If the Cavs were to continue that pace for the whole of their 82-game season, they’d finish the year with 73 wins, tied with the Warriors for the highest total in league history.
There’s still plenty left to play for in the 2024-25 season and unforeseen events can happen. Still, given Cleveland’s performance thus far, it’s clear Kenny Atkinson’s bunch if one of the NBA’s best sides. A 50-, 60- or even 70-win season seems more than feasible for the NBA’s most efficient roster.
Who is the Cavaliers’ head coach?
The Cavaliers are helmed by Kenny Atkinson. The 57-year old is a basketball lifer, having starred as Richmond, played overseas and served as an assistant and head coach across the league. Atkinson was the head coach of the Nets from 2016-2020, posting a 118-190 record in Brooklyn before stepping down. He joined the Clippers and Warriors as an assistant coach, winning a championship with the latter in 2022.
