Inside The Thunder

Thunder/Cavaliers Game Thread

Post your comments by clicking on the comment icon and give us your opinion on the game. Thank you for joining the conversation. And welcome to Inside The Thunder.

Erik Gee

 When the Thunder host the Cavaliers tonight at the Peake, the will have almost a full roster ready to go. Andre Roberson is the only player not available, Terrance Ferguson makes his return after an eight-game absence, Billy Donovan says that he will "put him out there and see how he does." Ferguson will also play with no minute restriction. Rookie Luguentz Dort will start at small forward. In the eight games that Ferguson sat out for personal reasons, Oklahoma City went 7-1. 

FIrst Quarter:

Nice cheer for Lou Dort as he was announced with the starters. Going to make a not so bold prediction that Dort is on a full NBA contract by the end of the All-Star break. 

Gallinari starts the scoring tonight. We know the asking price for Schroder is is high, but, what is Presti thinking with Gallinari? I would expect nothing less than a first-round pick. 

Big bucket by Paul after the Cavs went on a 10-0 run. 

You can hear a pin drop in this building. Thunder only down one, and it’s dead in here. 

Thunder up one after a Dort slam! See first post on the thread. 

Content is unavailable

Billy Donovan takes a timeout. Thunder trail Cavaliers 15-13 with 6:34 left in the first quarter.

If you’re going to play Good Times, Bad Times by Led Zeppelin, I am going to air drum in the press box. #OldMan

Noel in for Adams. Gallinari ties it at 16 with a three. Thunder playing some good defense. Gilgeous-Alexander forces a turnover. Noel dunks on the other end OKC up 18-16. And in the bonus. 

Ferguson in for Dort, Bazley in Gallinari. Let’s see how the time off has affected Ferguson. Donovan says there is no minute restriction. 

Adams back in, Thunder trail 22-21 with 3:18 to go. 

The Thunder needed the rest after playing every other night or back to back since the late part of December, but they look sloppy. And as soon as I type that Schroder gives OKC the lead agin. 

Four ties and six lead changes so far. 

Can I delete my comment about Thunder looking sloppy. They are Shooting 56. 3 percent right now. Never mind, bad pass by Schroder. 

Chris Paul makes just the second three for OKC. 

Thunder lead at the end of one 29-28. 

Terrance Ferguson played four minutes. #FergWatch

Gallinari 8 points, Gilgeous-Alexander with 7.  Led Zeppelin mentions 1

Second Quarter:

Abdel Nader in to start the second quarter. 

Nader gets the steal and draws the foul on the other end. Shooting two with the game tied at 33. 

Dort back in, Nader sinks both shots Thunder up 35-33. Bazley keeps going inside. Love that moxie, eventually he won’t get his shot blocked as much.

Right on cue, Bazley with the Dunk and one! Makes the free-throw 38-33 OKC. 

Bazley with the corner three. 41-33 Thunder. Timeout Cavaliers.  

Kevin Love can still play. That was a great move around the basket for two. Issues aside the guy deserves to be on a winner. Keeping him in Cleveland is a tragic waist of talent.  

Great steal by Dort, would have been better without the double dribble. Gilgeous-Alexander back in. 43-37 Thunder. 

Current lineup for OKC: SGA at PG, Nader at SG, Dort at SF, Gallinari at PF, Noel at C. 

Love with 9 points after a corner three. 47-42 Thunder with 4:24 left in the half. 

Iggy to Maimi. 

Thunder have forced seven turnovers. Gilgeous-Alexander into the the double digits after a corner three. Giallinari 12, Gilgous-Alexander 12, Schroder 12.

That price tag for the Lakers to get Schroder just keeps getting higher. Dennis with 15 points. 61-53 Thunder. 

Thunder shoot 52.4 percent in the first half. And score 19 points off 11 turnovers. 

Third Quarter:

Dort doing a good job of keeping up with Sexton on that trip. Collin Sexton with 12 points so far. Not sure anyone on the Thunder is going to stop Sexton, but if Dort wants a full contract minimizing the damage he does will go a long way with the Thunder front office. 

What a pass by Osman to Sexton! Cavs cut the lead to 66-61. 

Chris Paul picks up his third fouls at 9:15. Garland with the three makes it a two point game. Billy Donovan takes a timeout.

Osman ties things up at 68 with a transition layup. Kevin Love gives Cleveland the lead, but only for a possession. Gallinari for three puts OKC up 71-70. 

Sexton is killing the Thunder. He’s gettin loose in transition too easy. 

Thunder up 79-75. Bazley can’t finish in transition. Schroder blocked at the rim.  Thunder up 75-79 with 1:45 left. Schroder Fouled. Shooting two, makes one. OKC leads 80-75. 

Thunder 84 Cavaliers 81 going into the fourth quarter.  Oklahoma City 50 percent from the field. 

Fourth Quarter:

 First two possessions for the Thunder are empty. Still up one after a missed three and missed dunk. 

Schroder with the two to make it a three point game. 

Schroder misses the three. Noel draws an offensive foul from Dante Exum. Nader can’t convert, Gilgeous-Alexander with the rebound, and drawing a foul from Kevin Porter (his fourth). 

Nader giving OKC an 89-85 lead with the three. 

Schroder fouled while shooting a three. Makes two of three from the line. 91-87.

Published
Erik Gee
ERIK GEE

With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa. 

Home/News