By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a momentum-boosting revenge victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 134-114, during their inter-conference rematch in the ongoing NBA regular season on January 17, 2025.
After failing to extend their NBA winning streak to 16 straight games when they fell at the hands of the Cavaliers last January 9, 2025, January 17 was immediately encircled by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Thunder squad.
Oklahoma didn’t disappoint their home fans who flocked to the Paycom Center and watched a satisfying one-sided beating as their team ballooned its biggest lead of the ball game to as much as 42 points.
As early as the opening quarter, Oklahoma quickly snatched Cleveland’s soul when they ended the first 12 minutes of action with a commanding 18-point advantage.
Hyped and pumped up by the loud cheers in the crowd, the Thunder continued its mastery over the Cavaliers and won the second-quarter battle, 43-35, which put them in a favorable spot with still two periods left to play.
Despite Cleveland’s third-quarter adjustments, including multiple screens that freed up their star player, Donovan Mitchell, the Oklahoma smelled blood and fired haymakers everywhere from the court.
Just like their first game, Lugentz Dort, Oklahoma’s premier perimeter defender, didn’t give Mitchell any room to breathe and put him in handcuffs, holding him to a dismal 3/15 shooting from the field.
In their first encounter when Cleveland won, Mitchell finished the game with a 3/16 shooting, a testament to Dort’s tremendous nose for the ball and high defensive IQ.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the two stars who stepped up in Mitchell’s poor performance in their first-game win, were also limited to 13 and five points, respectively.
Gilgeous-Alexander was a man on a mission for the Thunder after torching the Cavaliers with 40 big points in just 29 minutes of action.
The favorite to win this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) single-handedly outscored Cleveland in the first quarter and wrapped up the bounce-back win with an efficient 17/26 shooting from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander had the chance to eclipse the 40-point mark but head coach Mark Daigneault decided to pull him out in the fourth when the Thunder already held a massive cushion.
Dort backstopped their superstar’s performance with 22 markers built from six drained three-pointers while Jalen Williams added 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Oklahoma will look to extend its winning streak to five straight games today, as they battle the banged-up Dallas Mavericks team while the Cavaliers seek to return to the NBA winning column on January 19, 2025, against the Minnesota Timberwolves.