Cleveland hit nine threes in the third quarter on Monday and still couldn’t shake Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder ahead for good with a three in the final minute. Now the teams meet again in Oklahoma City, where the question is how each offense can keep scoring between those big runs.
Cleveland found room from deep
Oklahoma City led by 14 in the third quarter of its 117–112 win in Cleveland. The Cavaliers hit nine of 17 threes in that quarter, and Donovan Mitchell finished with 11 assists and 17 points. If Mitchell keeps finding teammates for good looks, Cleveland has a way to stay close even if the threes come at a more ordinary rate.
DraftKings favors Oklahoma City by 2.5. We give the Thunder defense an A and Cleveland’s offense an A−. For the Cavs, the test is whether they can keep getting good looks once Oklahoma City has a chance to settle in. Cleveland will be without Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson with hamstring and right ankle injuries, respectively. Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams is questionable with a back issue.
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What it took to get to 229 on Monday
Gilgeous-Alexander took 35 shots and made 11 of 12 free throws on his way to 43 points. Ajay Mitchell added 20, including two late free throws that made it a two-possession game. The foul line gave Oklahoma City another source of points in a game where Cleveland did much of its damage from deep. Monday’s 229 finished under the line for that game but would clear Wednesday’s 228.5.
Oklahoma City scored fewer than 100 in both games before Monday, while Cleveland reached 121 in four of its first seven. The first meeting showed how Cleveland can contribute against a defense we rate highly. If Donovan Mitchell keeps creating good looks for teammates, the Thunder will need to answer on offense. If those looks get harder to find, how often Oklahoma City gets to the line matters even more to the total.
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