Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Streak-Breaking Loss to Cleveland Cavaliers

The 15-game winning streak of the Oklahoma City Thunder came to a conclusion, falling to the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

For the last 15 games, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked untouchable. It won every single one of those matchups, and even when it looked like a potential loss was on the horizon, it still came out on top.

However, a team has finally gotten the best of the Thunder again. The No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers of the Eastern Conference made another statement on the NBA, winning 129-122 to bring their record to a league-best 32-4.

Oklahoma City came to play in a highly anticipated matchup, but Cleveland got the better out of it in most factions of the game. It shot over 40% on 3-pointers, had two dominant performances from its big men and took care of business in the final stretch of the fourth quarter.

Obviously the Thunder wanted to keep the winning going for as long as it could, but eventually it was going to stop. The Cavaliers were a more than admirable opponent to lose to.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday night's loss:

Holmgren's Absence is Felt

A definitive reason why Oklahoma City fell short of beating Cleveland came down to the dominance of its starting power forward and center combo: Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. To say the Thunder had trouble matching up to the giant duo is putting it mildly.

Allen led the team in scoring with 25 points, along with 11 rebounds — seven being offensive — six assists and three steals on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Mobley wasn't too far off with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on 8-of-13 shooting.

Both big men were all over the glass, getting second chance opportunities for themselves and teammates surrounding the perimeter. Though Isaiah Hartenstein had a respectable performance of 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, it was clear dealing with both Allen and Mobley was borderline impossible.

Sometimes, it might be forgotten with how much the Thunder has won as of late; it's been without Chet Holmgren for two months. It could obviously use him more in any of the games, but especially against a team with such a strong force down low. If he's available the next time both sides go at it, the disparity will likely not look nearly as bad.

"Spida" Gets Caught

Despite Oklahoma City being on the losing side of last night's game, the way it handled opposing guard Donovan Mitchell defensively was a considerable bright spot. Of course, it was all thanks to the brilliance of Luguentz Dort's perimeter defense.

In 35 minutes of action, Mitchell finished with a measly 11 points, six rebounds and four assists on 3-of-16 shooting from the field and a 2-of-7 clip from behind the arc. Typically viewed as the Cavaliers' go-to offensive scorer, he was one of the only players who couldn't get a rhythm going throughout the entire game.

It speaks to Dort's defense more than Mitchell's incapability of scoring the ball efficiently — he was playing with intensity from the tip-off. Players have let it known how much of a nightmare matchup the forward is, and that was displayed during a highly-anticipated game. Though he didn't look to score much, his two blocks, steal and multiple plays limiting Mitchell made a huge impact.

It may not have translated to a win, but Dort is an invaluable piece to the Thunder roster. When a player can consistently cause a night off for the opponent's top perimeter scorer, that puts a team in the position to win far more times than not.

Finals Preview?

Clearly through the marketing campaign for the game and the buzz surrounding it, Oklahoma City and Cleveland are the best two teams in the NBA right now. They are each at the top of their conferences and have already made some history, respectively.

A few months remain before the playoffs arrive, so a lot could happen in that time. It doesn't seem that either party will ever be in jeopardy of falling off a significant amount — unless further injuries derail their seasons — so we can be sure they are going to be championship favorites.

A Thunder and Cavaliers matchup in the 2025 NBA Finals is a realistic outcome and one that got a little preview in the middle of the regular season. Plenty has to go right for the teams to see each other in a seven-game series, but they each have the personnel to accomplish that.

Oklahoma City and Cleveland will already face each other again on Jan. 16, and it's up in the air on if either Holmgren or Alex Caruso will be available for the game. The Thunder would obviously like a different look that could serve as even more of a Finals preview, but it's to be determined.

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