Dribbles: Cavs Show Nation That, Yeah, They’re On Top Of NBA World Right Now

January 8, 2025

CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ thriller of a 129-122 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. …

1. This game was everything you hoped for between the top two teams in the NBA standings. For the Cavs, of course, it’s even better with a win.

Somehow, someway, the Cavs just found ways to get it done in the moments that mattered most. Jarrett Allen. Evan Mobley. Darius Garland. Max Strus and Ty Jerome. The big-time contributions were endless.

3. The Cavaliers are 32-4, with 11 straight wins. Let’s just stop and think about that for a second. Remarkable. And on Wednesday, they passed their biggest test yet. The Thunder (30-6) are no joke, man. Quite the opposite.

4. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said it best: “Was that a great basketball game? Forget who won and who lost. Great for the game. Playoff atmosphere, pure competition. It was just a great game for the league, for the fans.”

5. Atkinson spoke the truth. This one featured eight ties — and THIRTY lead changes. Neither team led by double digits. The Cavs’ biggest advantage was the final margin, seven points. They once trailed by nine. But you never felt like either team would put it away. Both were just that good.

6. Allen was utterly dominant with 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and a game-high 12 rebounds. So much for the idea that the center position is a thing of the past. He played a massive role in saving the day.

7. Atkinson compared Allen to an offensive lineman. “Knocking people out of the way, doing all the dirty work,” Atkinson said. “JA was incredible all around.”

8. Of course, you could say the same about any number of Cavs. Mobley went for 21 points and 10 boards. Garland scored 18 and hit the final bucket, a running floater with 27.4 seconds to go.

9. And we mustn’t forget about the often-unsung guys — Strus and Jerome. Each went 6-of-7 from the field, making big shot or big play after big shot or big play. Strus scored 17; Jerome 15. Everyone attacked the vaunted OKC defense relentlessly.

10. Along with that, the Cavaliers held their ground in the final moments against a team that plays similarly to them. Ball movement. Strong perimeter shooting. A major star in guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

11. The man known as SGA did score a game-high 31. He’s truly amazing. But not all was lost for the Cavs. “I think that was about the best job you can do on him,” Jerome said. “Took 27 shots to get those 31 points. Only had like four free throws (4-of-4). Can’t expect to do better than that on him.”

12. No Cavs regular-season game had been this wildly hyped since the days of LeBron James. It was flexed onto ESPN, meaning it wasn’t scheduled to be on national TV originally. But the network couldn’t resist. Again, it lived up to the buzz.

13. And again, the Cavs won despite being really challenged by the best in the West.

14. More Atkinson: “It’s like the guys were saying in the locker room, We don’t win this game last year. That says a lot about their maturity and their growth.”

15. Last year, Garland may not have felt confident enough to drive and put the game away. Mobley may have shot fadeaways as opposed to going so strong to the hoop. And the Cavs may have buckled if Donovan Mitchell had struggled as badly as he did Wednesday (3-of-16 shooting, 11 points, four fouls).

16. No matter, Mitchell is always the pro’s pro, the ultimate leader, and spoke proudly of his teammates afterward — especially Allen, Mobley and Garland. “It was a group effort,” he said, “but I’m not going to stop talking about those three in particular.”

17. Mitchell also addressed the hot topic of whether the Cavaliers are getting enough love from the media’s heavy-hitters. “We belong here,” he said. “I don’t think we are waiting for the national media to say we belong. We know.”

18. Meanwhile, Garland sort of downplayed the win, and you could tell he was doing it on purpose. “We’re excited, we knew it would be a good test for us,” he said, smiling. “But it’s another game. We have another one tomorrow.”

19. Well, he’s right about that much. One night after getting best-in-the-west OKC, the Cavs host the Toronto Raptors. So, anything resembling a celebration will be short-lived. But this is the NBA. The guys in Cleveland know that. And from the looks of things, they understand it better than anyone.

20. Jalen Williams added 25 points for the Thunder, who had a remarkable 15-game winning streak snapped. Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 11 rebounds. This team really does remind me of the Cavs. Finals preview? Hey, you never know.

21. So forget about market size, traditional powers, the stars of yesteryear. This is the new NBA, and based on Wednesday’s game, it’s a really cool NBA. With the Cavs currently at the very top.

22. Final word from Atkinson: “Listen, I think the parody is great in this league. To see all that talent out there tonight. … Great win for the Cavs.”