NBA Recap: Thunder Dominate Cavaliers in 134-114 Blowout Win

The Oklahoma City Thunder avenged their previous loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a dominant 134-114 win, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 40-point performance.

The Oklahoma City Thunder exacted revenge on the Cleveland Cavaliers, thrashing them 134-114 in a dominant display on Thursday. This victory avenged the Thunder's defeat at the hands of the Cavs just last week.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the star of the show, delivering a scintillating performance that left the Cavs reeling. He scored 40 points, marking the 18th 40-point game of his career, and completely overwhelmed the Cavs' defense at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive stats included 40 points, eight assists, and three rebounds, making him the clear standout in a blowout win that caught many by surprise. His dazzling all-round performance propelled the Thunder to a convincing victory.

Luguentz Dort provided significant support to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 40-point performance, scoring 22 points, including six-of-nine from three-point range. Jalen Williams also chipped in with 19 points. On the other hand, Darius Garland led the Cleveland Cavaliers' scoring with 20 points, while Donovan Mitchell was limited to just eight points.

The outcome of the game left both Oklahoma City and Cleveland with identical 34-6 records, atop their respective conferences. Following the game, Gilgeous-Alexander downplayed the significance of the victory, stating: “Tonight was a good performance. We did the things we were supposed to do.” He continued, “But for us, it was just another night of basketball, another night of competing together, another night of being competitive. It happened to be a hype game. It happened to be on TV. But for us, we're at home in front of the best fans in the NBA; we gave it our all and the outcome was the outcome.”

However, Gilgeous-Alexander did acknowledge that the Thunder derived satisfaction from handing the Cavaliers a comprehensive defeat, given that they had the best record in the league prior to Thursday. He said, “It's the cream of the crop, and obviously you want to test yourself against the best to find out where you really are.” Gilgeous-Alexander added, “We tested ourselves and I think we passed.” This victory served as a measure of revenge for the Thunder, who had lost to the Cavaliers 129-122 just last Wednesday in Cleveland.

Analysts had predicted a closely contested rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, given their intense duel just last Wednesday. However, the game unfolded differently, with the Thunder dominating from the outset. A blistering 22-2 run in the first quarter propelled the Thunder to a 32-14 lead, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

The Thunder's relentless pressure continued throughout the first half, as they capitalized on a string of defensive errors by the Cavaliers. Oklahoma City forced 13 turnovers, converting them into 22 points, to establish a commanding 75-49 lead at halftime. The Cavaliers were unable to recover from this deficit, and the Thunder maintained their momentum in the second half.

The Thunder's advantage continued to grow, stretching to 33 points early in the third quarter, with the score reading 87-54. By the end of the third quarter, the lead had ballooned to 38 points, with Cleveland trailing 119-81. This allowed Thunder coach Mark Daigneault to rest most of his starters in the fourth quarter, as the bench players closed out the victory.

In other NBA games on Thursday, the Phoenix Suns secured a 130-123 road win over the Washington Wizards, thanks to Devin Booker's 37 points and Kevin Durant's 23 points. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers powered past the Detroit Pistons 111-100, with Myles Turner contributing 28 points and Pascal Siakam adding 26 points.