Thunder Gameday: Two Elite Second Year Talents Clash

Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey will match up with Cleveland Cavaliers big Evan Mobley tonight.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are having a spectacular season and look good enough to make a deep push in the postseason. One of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, they’ll have a tough test tonight in Oklahoma City against the Thunder.

While they’ve cooled off a bit more recently, the Thunder have been one of the top teams in the NBA this month. Can they continue their momentum tonight, or will the Cavs prove to be too much to handle?

John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports

ODDS: 

The Thunder enter the day as 1-point underdogs to the Cavaliers, and the total over/under is 222.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME: 

Cleveland is on the second night of a back-to-back following a contest against Houston Rockets on Thursday night. With that in mind, it was a blowout win so most of the primary pieces on the Cavaliers should be fairly well rested given the circumstances.

The Cavs have one of the most dynamic backcourts in the NBA in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. With that in mind, Oklahoma City has a jumbo guard duo of its own with Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that should be a good counterpunch.

The defensive side of the ball will be key for the Thunder tonight, as Cleveland is one of the most efficient offensive teams in the league. Especially from inside the arc, the Cavs are hard to stop.

Keep an eye on Giddey and Evan Mobley, who have each emerged as two of the best prospects in the second-year crop of players.

RECORDS: 

Oklahoma City Thunder (23-25) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (30-20)

WHEN: 

Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 at 7:00 PM CT

LOCATION: 

Paycom Center - Oklahoma City, OK

TV/RADIO: 

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD: 

Following this contest, the Thunder will then host the Golden State Warriors on Monday. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will head home to host the LA Clippers.

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