CLEVELAND — Jarrett Allen scored 25 points, Evan Mobley added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Thunder 129-122 to end Oklahoma City's winning streak in Wednesday night's featured matchup between the top two NBA teams. I stopped at 15.
The Cavs, who face the Raptors on Friday night, extend their winning streak to 11, improving their league-best record to 32-4 (11-0 against the West) and 19-1 at home.
Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell had just 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting, but he did it on an off night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Jaylen Williams added 25 points for the Thunder (30-6), who will face the Knicks on Friday night at the Garden.
It was Oklahoma City's first loss since December 1st.
Although it's only January and there's a lot of basketball ahead, the intensity of the game had the feel of a June finals game.
There were 30 lead changes, with both teams separated by more than nine.
This matchup was the third match in history between teams with double-digit winning streaks.
The last time that happened was on January 26, 1995, when Seattle and Utah each entered the game on 10-game winning streaks.
takeout
thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander is the undisputed star of the team, but Oklahoma City has some great players.
Former Knick center Isaiah Hartenstein had 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
cavaliers: Cleveland showed its balance and depth and that it can do without Mitchell.
Mobley and Allen combined for 22 rebounds and 13 assists. Darius Garland had 18 points, seven assists and hit a floater to put OKC away.
important moment
With Cleveland leading 125-122 with 1:19 left in the game, Mitchell was called for a foul on a loose ball.
The Cavs appealed the decision, but the decision was reversed after replay review. Mobley then hit a 10-foot shot into the lane to give Cleveland a five-point lead.
Main status
Only four teams have had a better record than Cleveland through 36 games: Golden State (34-2) in 2015-16, Philadelphia (33-3) in 1966-67, and 1971-72. Los Angeles Lakers (33-3) in 1995-1996 and Chicago (33-3) in 1995-1996.
