OKC Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers Each Eclipse 40 Third-Quarter Points in High-Profile Showdown

Wednesday night's third quarter featured 14 lead changes between the two heavyweights.

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Eighty-four total points. Twenty-five assists on 33 field goals. Thirteen out of 16 players above 50% from the field. Ten 3-pointers on 22 attempts. More offensive rebounds than turnovers.

The third quarter in Wednesday night's nationally televised clash of titans between the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers offered relentless offense. It was the first time two opposing teams scored 40 or more points in the same quarter all season — with the Thunder taking the slight edge, 43-41.

Isaiah Hartenstein scored six of his 18 points in the first two and a half minutes after halftime, making two floaters and a reverse layup on assists from Jalen Williams. That stretch included lead changes on five straight possessions, with each team converting two layups.

Darius Garland scored or assisted on Cleveland's first 13 third-quarter points, making two and-one floaters and finding Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley for quality rim looks. Five minutes into the frame, the Cavaliers executed a seamless passing sequence against the Thunder's zone defense — punctuated by Mobley throwing an alley-oop to his frontcourt partner Allen.

"I think defensively, with how we've played all season, we let them get loose on a lot of plays. But that's what they do to you," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said postgame. "You've gotta be really, really good on a possession to get a stop or to force a tough shot against them. Point of attack, initial help, close-outs, rebounding — you gotta do all that well against them."

Coming out of a mid-quarter timeout, Isaiah Joe knocked down a left-wing triple from a Hartenstein dribble handoff to start a 14-3 Oklahoma City run. Jalen Williams intercepted a Max Strus bounce pass, poked the ball from a dribbling Dean Wade near the half-court line and made a coast-to-coast layup during the run, as the Thunder took a four-point lead with 15 minutes remaining in the game.

Cleveland's No. 1 offense, which lived up to its reputation all night, responded with an outside-shooting barrage. Caris LeVert splashed two 3-pointers, Strus nailed a corner three from a short-rolling Mobley and Donovan Mitchell hit a pull-up triple against a contesting Joe for his second field goal of the game — and his team's 103rd point.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drilled a 12-foot fadeaway with 21 seconds to go for his fourth made shot of the quarter on four attempts.

"We were trading baskets at that point of the game, which obviously isn't our identity," Daigneault said.

The home Cavaliers demonstrated exquisite passing and shotmaking throughout their roster and exuded frontcourt authority to secure an eventual 129-122 victory. Allen grabbed three of his eight offensive rebounds in the third quarter, which led directly to a putback dunk and two free throws.

"That 12 minutes of basketball, and the way these two teams operated, the way that they played with that mastery, was a high of a level as I've seen in the regular season in my 20-plus years covering the NBA," said ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst on Thursday morning First Take. "Watching the Thunder play with physicality and speed, and watching the Cavs' tight passing and player movement and ball movement ... if you don't love this game, if you watched this, you don't love basketball."

The Thunder takes on the 25-13 New York Knicks tonight at 6:30 p.m. CST.

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