Thunder Edge Cavaliers in 111-109 Home Defeat
The Cleveland Cavaliers fell short against an injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder squad on Monday night, dropping a tight contest at home as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder pulled off a narrow victory. si.com reported that Oklahoma City arrived in Cleveland with six players sidelined, prompting the Cavaliers to hand rookie Meleek Thomas his first career start alongside shorthanded absences from Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson.
Cleveland seized an early opportunity with Chet Holmgren out of the lineup. The Cavaliers opened the game running action to get Evan Mobley a lay-in, closing the first period ahead 30-26 after Tyrese Proctor hit two late three-pointers and Mario Hezonja applied physical defense on Gilgeous-Alexander. Yet offensive momentum stalled from beyond the arc early on, with the Cavaliers shooting 1-for-7 on three-pointers midway through the first quarter while giving up three offensive rebounds.
The Thunder capitalized in the second period, opening with a 5-0 run that prompted a quick timeout from coach Kenny Atkinson. Ajay Mitchell exploited the Isaiah Hartenstein pick-and-roll to get downhill, while Gilgeous-Alexander added a three-pointer and distributed to open teammates. Rookie Bennett Stirtz chipped in two threes for Oklahoma City, helping the visitors build a 15-point cushion and a 59-48 halftime lead where Gilgeous-Alexander paced all scorers with 17 points.
Cleveland Rallies in Third Quarter Behind Three-Point Shooting
Cleveland answered immediately after the break, hitting eight of their first ten shots—including six of their first eight attempts from deep—to slice the deficit to four points. Fluid ball movement generated open triples for Sam Merrill, Hezonja, Harden, and Thomas, powering a 36-point third quarter that narrowed the Thunder lead to 90-84 heading into the final period.
The Cavaliers carried that momentum into the fourth, opening with a 5-0 run before Jared McCain drew a foul on Craig Porter Jr. for a three-point play. Another quick 5-0 burst put Cleveland ahead 94-93. Mobley gave the Cavaliers a crucial offensive stretch with three minutes remaining, drawing a foul and scoring out of the pick-and-roll to help give the team a 109-108 lead.
In the closing moments, Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrated his two-time reigning MVP poise, steering the Thunder through late defensive pressure to secure the narrow victory.
