The highly anticipated matchup between the NBA’s conference leaders – the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder – lived up to the hype and then on a Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Both teams entered the game with double-digit winning streaks and the game played like a heavyweight contest. The score rarely exceeded two possessions throughout, but a late run by the Cavs with clutch shooting and some big stops secured a 129-122 victory for the East’s top seed.

Cleveland extended its winning streak to 11 despite Donovan Mitchell scoring just 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley picked up the slack, combining for 46 points and 22 rebounds.

The loss ended a 15-game winning streak for the Thunder, who were in the game until the final minute despite star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and center Isaiah Hartenstein having foul trouble early in the second half. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with a game-high 31 points and nine assists, while Hartenstein finished two assists shy of a triple-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The teams will meet again on January 16th in Oklahoma City, but first let’s take a closer look at today’s game. What did we learn about each team tonight? What should we pay attention to in the rematch? And will we see this matchup in the NBA Finals in June?

Our NBA insiders Tim Bontemps, Kevin Pelton and Brian Windhorst explain the top duel of the 2024-25 season so far.

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What did we learn about the Cavaliers in this game?

Bontemps: That they belong. Even after the game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson admitted that there were doubts about Cleveland’s ability to win this game and whether this team is really as good as their record shows. But in a game in which Mitchell went 3-for-16, Cleveland was able to beat an Oklahoma City team that had won 15 straight games and was considered a real title contender. After this game, there should no longer be any doubts that Cleveland belongs in this category.

Pelton: Max Strus gives them another playmaker. It’s hard to say the Cavaliers did that missed Strus was 23-4 this season when he made his season debut on Dec. 20, but his five three-pointers and five assists off the bench on Wednesday made the difference. Strus was on the court later on, giving Cleveland a little more lift than with starting small forward Dean Wade and more power than with sixth man Caris LeVert.

Windhorst: There is no true winner or loser in this game. Both teams showed that they have mastered their systems. The third quarter performance of that game, which OKC won 43-41, was perhaps the most technically brilliant 12 minutes of midseason basketball I have ever seen. The Cavs coming away with the win is meaningful, but they admit there is very little room between these teams. Cleveland’s ability to control their offense and generate the usual level of open offense through tight passes and spacing against such a great defense was probably the most rewarding thing for them.

What did we learn about the Thunder in this game?

Bontemps: That Chet Holmgren remains the second most important player on this team. Cleveland absolutely dominated this game, with Allen and Mobley scoring 46 points on 17-for-21 shooting and 2-pointers. Hartenstein is an excellent big man, but aside from Holmgren, he is the only true center in the Thunder’s core rotation. If OKC had them on the court together in that game, it could have made the difference.

Pelton: They can survive without the MVP front-runner for a while. When Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter, Oklahoma City was ahead by a point but was down six points at one point, but rallied to tie the game when Gilgeous-Alexander returned nearly five minutes later. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander’s low foul rate, the Thunder will likely face a similar situation at some point in the postseason and can use this moment as an example of what they can do without their star player.

Windhorst: The Thunder really missed Holmgren in this matchup. Aside from the Cavs’ big games – Allen played his second brilliant game in the past week, including against Anthony Davis on New Year’s Eve – it was hard not to imagine how things would be different if OKC could achieve the Cavs’ double-big one View. OKC has a 15-2 record in its last 17 games, including the NBA Cup loss to Milwaukee. Size was an important factor for both and they already have the solution in their squad.

What should we watch for in next week’s rematch?

Bontemps: The chess game between Cleveland’s dominance on the glass and Oklahoma City’s typical turnover dominance. The Thunder are obsessed with winning the possession game and they usually do. In this game, both teams had 90 shots, but the Cavaliers also shot 10 free throws. Oklahoma City forced 15 turnovers for 21 points, but Cleveland forced 19 for 21. And Cleveland’s margin in points in the paint (60 to 54) and second chance points (24 to 20) made the difference. The same formulas apply next week.

Pelton: Better defense. In practice, it’s not really true that the best offenses beat the best defenses. Since the 1996-97 season, the top five offenses have averaged almost exactly the league’s average points per possession in matchups against top five defenses. If we limit that to the No. 1 offense (like Cleveland this season) against the No. 2 defense (Oklahoma City), it’s about 1% better than average. But the Cavaliers exceeded their efficiency all season, shooting 52% from the field and 42% from three-pointers, while the Thunder (53% from the field, 35.5% from three-pointers) weren’t far behind. It’s unlikely that either team will shoot as accurately in Oklahoma City.

Windhorst: I would be surprised if the Thunder allowed 129 points on their home court. The Cavs were repeatedly able to beat them on the “second pass,” particularly when breaking out of pick-and-rolls and beating Oklahoma City’s relief defense at the perimeter. This led to so many deep passes for easy baskets or situations where the Thunder had to commit a foul. I expect they will be better prepared next week.

Was that a preview of the finale?

Bontemps: It could be – which I probably wouldn’t have said 24 hours ago. Cleveland showed a lot in this game. Mobley has shown that he is an All-Star lock. The Cavaliers took every hit from the Thunder and threw back a bigger one. The result was the 32nd win in 36 games. I wrote about the comparisons between this team and the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors before Wednesday. These Warriors came from nothing, were doubted all season, and finally won a title. I’m not saying Cleveland will do it now, but I am saying the Cavaliers are good enough to make it through June.

Pelton: I would still bet against it at even odds. Projections using ESPN’s Basketball Power Index give these two teams the best chance of reaching the Finals, but still show this particular matchup only happens 35% of the time. I would pick the Boston Celtics over the Cavaliers to win the East. Although the Thunder are the clear favorites in the West, this could still change between now and the end of May.

Windhorst: I won’t say a bad word about these two teams out of respect after seeing this performance. I’m not predicting the final in January either. But I’ll give you this: I’ve seen more than one championship team in the last two decades that couldn’t beat these two.