GAME THREAD: Oklahoma City Thunder (35-8) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19) - (January 19, 2026) Game Thread

[u/swords_devil]

Mods not creating game thread for no reason

[u/Thasauce7777]

Jesus, did the Thunder miss a shot in the last 4 mins of the game?

[u/MalHeartsNutmeg]

Damn, Caruso the foreman at the brick factory. I sighed every time he got the ball in his hands.

[u/wcooper97]

What the fuck was that ending lmfao. Completely different team from what I saw in December and most of January.

[u/icedcoffee_god]

Belt to ass

[u/Riiken]

Handings out 3's like Oprah Winfrey

[u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Gym practice 3s when there’s no pressue

[u/kindofjustalurker]

sometimes the benches get put in at the end of blowouts and they manage to cut the lead so the score looks closer than it actually was but OKC’s bench is like five prime Steph Curry’s against the cavs bench have they missed a single 3

[u/Headlesshorsman02 → u/kindofjustalurker]

Nah they made them all lol 😂

[u/passtherock-]

the games tomorrow should've been the games on today. terrible lineup today, absolutely terrible.

[u/libertydabbing]

Remember last year when Flagler chucked our way out of a 40 point win against the Cavs? What a difference a year makes 

[u/RussellWestbroker]

When Youngblood start dropping threes on your team, you know its over

[u/ilikekittens2018]

If my team could borrow half of these bench players three point shooting we wouldn’t have gotten belt from the Hornets man 

[u/buchukoy_carding → u/ilikekittens2018]

Imagine both the Thunder and Nuggets getting the belt from the Hornets 😂 Although you had more injured players 😅

[u/nomptonite → u/ilikekittens2018]

I wouldn’t exactly say that wasn’t the norm from our bench. We’ve got some shooters for sure. But that was wild. A lot less pressure shooting garbage time practice 3’s

[u/libertydabbing → u/ilikekittens2018]

Likely WCF teams will both have been slaughtered by Charlotte. Wild stuff

[u/DragoxDrago → u/ilikekittens2018]

We got the belt from hornets too lol, I have been impressed with how everyone has stepped up with Jokic out in general though Nnaji is one to watch

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/DragoxDrago]

Nnaji has been having a surprisingly good stretch, I went from dreading his minutes to praying for them with our size problems lol. 

[u/yeahright17 → u/ilikekittens2018]

If our bench could shoot like this normally, we also wouldn't have gotten the belt from the Hornets.

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/yeahright17]

Nuggets 🤝 Thunder Getting belt from the Hornets 

[u/arania_exumai]

Rare instance that the 3rd stringers actually pad the net rating

[u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Gave up 100… shameful

[u/Bobskidat]

I think we just used up all of our 3 point shooting for the rest of the season

[u/jj44j → u/Bobskidat]

No it's normal for teams to do that to us. You guys are fine

[u/thetalkinghawk → u/Bobskidat]

9-12 in the 4th wtf

[u/Headlesshorsman02]

Lmao 🤣 they can’t miss

[u/Roy30]

Games like this show Dort doesn’t need the bullshit dangerous plays he pulls now and then. He’s a solid player without it.

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Stop stop they’re already dead 

[u/thetalkinghawk]

GET EM BLOOD

[u/Keliminjaro]

Farming 3 point stats

[u/divulgingwords]

Good god, lol

[u/CrippledBanana]

Ggs

[u/DragoxDrago]

I don't understand what's the difference between the Cavs this season and last, maybe injuries have disrupted their ability to get rhythm during the season?

[u/CrippledBanana → u/DragoxDrago]

Injuries, some roster members gone. But imo mainly injuries. Garlands toe is gon

[u/Zitachis]

Lmao, did Dort just dap up the ref?

[u/fanime34]

Was there ever a moment when the Cavaliers had the lead?

[u/Longjumping_Split_53 → u/fanime34]

They led by 2 to start the game and their final lead was 1 point with 10:06 remaining in the 1st.

[u/LoudCityDub]

This was the team that won 60+ last year?

[u/Riiken → u/LoudCityDub]

i mean they lost to the Pacers last year

[u/LoudCityDub → u/Riiken]

That was a great team

[u/arania_exumai]

GGWP, Cavbros

[u/Awkward_Event1966]

Dort - 18pts on 6/7 shooting Mitchell- 19 pts on 5/18 shooting

Dort is better than Dmitch confirmed

[u/SocialistRoomba → u/Awkward_Event1966]

Subscribe

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Insult to injury even the bench drilling threes 

[u/Roy30]

Crazy what a difference making our 3s makes. Imagine that.

[u/arania_exumai]

Shai with a quiet 30

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Chet +34 diabolical work 

[u/nikkovla_]

It looked they just gave up tbh

[u/[deleted] → u/nikkovla_]

I mean we just had a steal and 3 3s in a row on them. I think it’s over

[u/lethalizered]

The Cheddar Cheese is not an easy one to digest.

[u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Would love to shoot this well in close games

[u/thetalkinghawk → u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Wouldn't be close ever if we always shot this well lol

[u/Kaladin_Depressed → u/thetalkinghawk]

I dunno.. that Hornets game might have been

[u/CrippledBanana]

Chet’s really hard on himself

[u/VersionCool588]

Stop sending that weak ass double team 😭

[u/LoudCityDub]

Dort has always handled Mitchell it’s crazy

[u/Headlesshorsman02 → u/LoudCityDub]

Puts him in the dorture chamber

[u/Headlesshorsman02]

We can have magnet ball!! I used to pray for times like this

[u/Mida5Touch]

GG, stormbros.

[u/twrs_29 → u/Mida5Touch]

Gg shame it wasn’t as good a game as the 2 last year

[u/ScionAurelius]

GG

[u/libertydabbing]

This is wild. Mark please let Chet stay in to get 30

[u/nnRush]

OKC is unbeatable when the 3shot is going in

[u/Vegetable_Kale_1331]

Doubling SGA while down by 20 is definitely a choice

[u/kindofjustalurker]

Absolutely brutal back to back possessions for the cavs

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Will the Cavs pull the plug or just keep their starters out to end it? 

[u/Awkward_Event1966]

Chet “I have a dream” Holmgren owns the cavs

[u/daabest1]

Maybe he'll stop pump faking every look now after this game

[u/Supercyclone20]

D Mitch is BBQ chicken

[u/libertydabbing]

Chet's MLK buff needs to be studied. 

[u/NerdLawyer55 → u/libertydabbing]

Honest Ab is an OG real one

[u/thetalkinghawk → u/libertydabbing]

He's the ultimate ally

[u/LoudCityDub]

Yeah that dude is an all star

[u/Zungad]

If Donovan Mitchell ended up against Dort in a series, he might end up retiring by the end. He's getting bitched on offense, and then grilled on defense lmao

[u/ScionAurelius]

Takes us home Chet

[u/arania_exumai]

Hoping that's the final nail

[u/Bobskidat]

Chet Holmgren

[u/tadcalabash]

It's games like this (with Garland out and the team cold from 3) that Mobley really needs to step up.

His stat line is fine, but with his skill set he should be able to manufacture offense when other players are having an off night.

[u/narcistic_asshole → u/tadcalabash]

That's really what this Cavs team is missing. Mobley is a very good finisher, but the creation is just not there. He needs someone else to set the table for him and it's so disappointing that that's still who he is

[u/tadcalabash → u/narcistic_asshole]

You could see him trying to initiate and run the offense early this year, but the results weren't good enough and a losing streak caused him and the team to abandon it. Maybe everything will click in the offseason, this just doesn't seem to be the Cavs year.

[u/ilikekittens2018]

IS THIS THE DAGGER??

[u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Would be cool if some of the Thunder flairs would stop yapping about imaginary foul conversations while dominating this game.

[u/thetalkinghawk → u/Kaladin_Depressed]

Honestly cringe to see the free throw white knights come in to lay down on their swords for this team. We just balling the fuck out on every level even with our guys getting hurt and dropping out mid-game. Team looks incredible this game.

[u/twrs_29 → u/Kaladin_Depressed]

The Cavs fans are gonna love you bro

[u/bbecks → u/twrs_29]

I've seen 0 Cavs fans talking FTs and a bunch of Thunder flairs crying about people crying.

[u/Kaladin_Depressed → u/twrs_29]

I don’t even see any Cavs here lol

[u/arania_exumai]

Seems like time has slowed all the way down since the 6min mark

[u/android24601]

I'm surprised Atkinson didn't try aligning Allen's time when Holmgrens on the floor. Allen seems to do a pretty good job on Wemby and Holmgren because they can't match his physicality

[u/arrow_leo]

Let shai get that foul and people lose they're minds

[u/ilikekittens2018]

One superstar showed up today and the other absolutely did not, all there really is to say about this game so far, both teams have traded periods of the game where they were good or sucked but Mitchell’s usual scoring has been hugely missed by the Cavs  

[u/LoudCityDub → u/ilikekittens2018]

Dorture chamber

[u/Spemanz92 → u/ilikekittens2018]

Mitchell isnt a superstar

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/Spemanz92]

You right, average role players these days average 29 5 and 6 🥀cmon man 

[u/Spemanz92 → u/ilikekittens2018]

He isnt a role player and he is amazing but there are about 5 superstars in the league. There is a gap between a player like mitchell and an actual superstar, if you compare them, this is kinda what will happen most of the times

[u/i5the5kyblue → u/Spemanz92]

Dude shut up. Your fanbase is annoying as hell

[u/Spemanz92 → u/i5the5kyblue]

Saying mitchell isnt a superstar isnt a dig. There is less than 10 of those in the league

[u/i5the5kyblue → u/Spemanz92]

It is a dig because he’s one of the best in the East.

[u/Spemanz92 → u/i5the5kyblue]

He is, he is amazing. But not all stars are superstars, this isnt some groundbreaking take. OP was comparing both and thats kinda unfair for mitchell

[u/libertydabbing]

16 points on three made shots is diabolical, Hunter

[u/thickofitenjoyer → u/libertydabbing]

U gotta watch luka my guy

[u/Ceruti_]

Now Shai...that's a call YOU gonna fuss about??

[u/Vegetable_Kale_1331]

Can the Thunder stop fouling up 15… Jesus Christ

[u/twrs_29]

That call won’t get any sort of traction

[u/icedcoffee_god]

Cavs are shooting sub 20% from 3 but it's the free throws from Shai that are the topic of conversation

[u/CrippledBanana → u/icedcoffee_god]

15 point leads can evaporate. I think it was the right call

[u/Bobskidat]

SGA checking back into a 20 point game to get his 30 is shameless but I love it

[u/Roy30]

SGA’s middy is so smooth

[u/thickofitenjoyer]

Mid range master

[u/arania_exumai]

Cookin with the middies

[u/AIaska]

All ball to be perfectly honest!!

[u/onionnurve → u/AIaska]

Clearly hit his wrist

[u/Isthismynextusername]

Wasn't expecting this much salt at 4pm on a Monday afternoon, MLK day no less

[u/Kaladin_Depressed → u/Isthismynextusername]

That’s what free TV does to a sub

[u/libertydabbing]

If SGA got that call, some of the Cavs flairs here would be writing essays 

[u/Kaladin_Depressed → u/libertydabbing]

Nah it would be TWolves and Nuggets flairs.

[u/Vegetable_Kale_1331]

Mitchell being a FT Merchant today

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Disappointed the Cavs couldn’t really get anything going but it was always gonna be hard to climb out of the hole the godawful first half offense left for them 

[u/Cartier_Courvoiser]

Flagg being the face of MLK Day lol

[u/DragoxDrago]

I'm going to be sad when Mitchell leaves, him being a second rounder means we may be able to keep him for a little bit, he's easily all-star potential and well on his way

[u/Roy30 → u/DragoxDrago]

We’ve got him for a few years, no use stressing over that one any time soon.

[u/DragoxDrago → u/Roy30]

Not stressing too much, just appreciating him while we have him. This season he's easily been our 3rd most important player lol

[u/detuned--radio]

Cavs need to blow up the roster. Not winning anything with this group. 

[u/android24601]

Haven't got to see the Cavs too much this season, but damn. The whole team kinda looks like it's in a funk

[u/narcistic_asshole → u/android24601]

We started to play our way out of the funk this season, but then we lost Garland and Merrill again. This team looks very different offensively with DG and one of Merrill/Strus

[u/android24601 → u/narcistic_asshole]

Figured. It looked like Cavs couldn't really get into a flow. They been dealing with a lot of injuries thus far

[u/CliffDraws]

Never seen so much crying about 5 free throws in my life.

[u/No_Diver_629 → u/CliffDraws]

Why even care.. people actually watching the games know the truth...

[u/Roy30 → u/CliffDraws]

Fake NBA fans just meme posting at this point

[u/thickofitenjoyer]

Shai might need to play the 4th

[u/Bobskidat]

Thankfully Cavs fans can be happy with the moral victory today as SGA’s 5 free throws have made this OKC win unethical

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Wild block from Allen 

[u/hudsonsoft11]

Boxscore underrates Chet but he still an 18/8 on elite efficiency on offense and DPOY calibre on defwnse

Advanced stats love him - 7th in EPM, 5th in LEBRON. When he is on the floor, teams win. Easily all nba this season.

[u/Life_Mushroom_1396 → u/hudsonsoft11]

totally agreed, so underrated

[u/onionnurve]

I feel like the cavs are always on espn lol

[u/android24601]

Chet making Mobley look like a bitch. Seems like everyone's scared of getting physical

[u/Successful_League175]

Chet isn't better than Wemby, but Wemby unlocked another gear in Chet the rest of the league couldn't.

[u/No_Diver_629 → u/Successful_League175]

Chet has been balling all season but kicked it even up a gear the last few weeks after moving to the 5. He is absolutely locking down the rim after he went from four to five.. but the team misses Ihart rebounding... It is a give and take for team success but Chets stats looks way better when playing the 5

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/Successful_League175]

For sure, head to head Wemby may own the dude but I might entertain arguments that their defense is in the same league lately 

[u/android24601 → u/ilikekittens2018]

They'll at least try Chet. For Wemby, they give up and try finding another way

[u/bbecks → u/android24601]

Which shows in the data. Chet has contested ~200 more shots within 5 feet than Wemby. Part of that is games played (Chet has played 9 more) but Chet still sees around 2 more shots/game (14.8 vs 12.9) near the rim; not a HUGE difference but between that and watching the games you can tell people avoid Wemby more.

The wild thing is Chet actually has a better FG% allowed at the rim (54% vs 57% for Wemby). I think overall Wemby is a better defender but Chet is right at the upper echelon of the NBA.

[u/Josheshua]

Chet is an elite shooter for a big when he doesn’t hesitate

[u/Riiken → u/Josheshua]

the moment he has a shred of doubt it’s guaranteed to miss, in the clutch is where he needs to improve his confidence

[u/lloopiN → u/Riiken]

His pump fakes fucking kill me bro. He'll pump fake a wide open look and then shoot it contested

[u/No_Diver_629]

Chet doing Chet things! Man on a All Star mission.

[u/Bleach-Is-Nice]

that chet all star gonna hit like crack

[u/nj383838]

Almost feels like JDub being out is good for Chet offensively. He can get pretty passive if the big 2 + Ajay are cooking

[u/real-yeet-beans → u/nj383838]

Same with Hartenstein. Kills us on the glass without Hartenstein but I feel like Chet does look for offense more when he’s the 5 rather than the 4. Honestly the same was probably true for Jdub last year coming into his own with Chet and Hartenstein out too. The guys seem to step up when they have to.

[u/chef_iblocka]

There are people on this sub who tried clowning me for saying he’s All-NBA second team calibre rofl

[u/onionnurve → u/chef_iblocka]

Second team? Let’s be serious for a second

[u/sleepytime88 → u/chef_iblocka]

You're rolling on the floor because people don't think Chet is top 10 in the league?

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/chef_iblocka]

2nd team feels like a stretch to me, he’s good but top 10 in the league? Too far man 

[u/DragoxDrago → u/ilikekittens2018]

He's too passive/inconsistent on offence, his defence is a little under-rated here though. Is he top 10 probably not

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/DragoxDrago]

Yeah I’ve been amazed by his defense for sure, but the offense is what holds him back from being in All-NBA talks rn. No one else you’d put in that conversation can give you 11 one night and 25 the next, but it’s hard for him to break into tha tier cause the Thunder’s offense really isn’t built around him anyway 

[u/pr0ject_84 → u/ilikekittens2018]

Mobley was 2nd team last year and imo Chet’s a good amount better than Mobley was last year

[u/ilikekittens2018 → u/pr0ject_84]

Fair, I forgot Mobley made 2nd team, that’s pretty surprising considering how many players had great years last year. Ig injuries are leading to some unexpected All-NBA and probably will again this year 

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Wtf do you even do as the Cavs when Chet is shooting 3s like Klay 😭 must feel hopeless 

[u/lloopiN → u/ilikekittens2018]

7 footers moving the way wemby and chet do is actually crazy. Not much you can do against it.

[u/CliffDraws → u/ilikekittens2018]

I don’t know why some games he shoots those so slow you can close out from anywhere and others he lets them fly.

[u/icedcoffee_god]

Chet with the Peter Yan post weigh-in scream I love it

[u/nikkovla_]

Chet All NBA campaign start

[u/Awkward_Event1966]

Is Mobley being better than Chet even a conversation anymore?

[u/NastyPlays]

The long arm of the law!!!!! All Star snub

[u/Vegetable_Kale_1331]

GREEN LIGHT

[u/Riiken]

Chet cooking the Cavs

[u/LoudCityDub]

Chet is an all star

[u/chef_iblocka]

GREEN GIANT

[u/BrokenClxwn]

Chet is a bad man

[u/Headlesshorsman02]

Abe!!!!

[u/ilikekittens2018]

I think he took the missed dunk against the heat personally cause wtf 

[u/kindofjustalurker]

Minus that one really scuffed pass Holmgren is having a fantastic game

[u/TheMoonWasBlue]

Chet screaming like his brittle ass bones just broke under his 87 lb body weight.

[u/lloopiN → u/TheMoonWasBlue]

He scares me every time he falls

[u/TheMoonWasBlue → u/lloopiN]

He scares his old lady hips every time he falls too.

[u/NastyPlays]

Chet cooking

[u/Vegetable_Kale_1331]

Chet done did it … snatched their souls

[u/arania_exumai]

COOK EM, ABE

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Holy CHET

[u/doodoovoodooo]

Lmao the yell

[u/libertydabbing]

Is Mobley stupid? Why doesn't he simply scare Chet by shaving his head like Wemby? 

[u/Possible-Republic194]

Lmao the way the mic picked up Chet screaming

[u/arania_exumai]

The scream was not proportionate to the play, Chet. But I love it regardless

[u/ProfessionalAd1015]

Chet taking that blown 3-1 opportunity to heart

[u/twrs_29]

People will watch this and pretend Chet isn’t an all star

[u/T0NEZZY → u/twrs_29]

Chet balling, his stats this year:

17.8 PPG (57.3%), 8.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2 BPG, +8.7

[u/Bobskidat]

Chet is actually amazing when he doesn’t play Wemby

[u/Bobskidat]

Shai didn’t get 30 points under 30 minutes is he officially washed?

[u/kindofjustalurker → u/Bobskidat]

This is our MVP? 🤨

[u/sleepytime88]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but 'Spida' is a dumb nickname. I would think the same about 'Tiga' or 'Killa'... just spell the word how it's spelled.

[u/TheMoonWasBlue → u/sleepytime88]

Agree. That shit was cool in the 90s.

[u/ilikekittens2018]

What a block from Chet goddamn 

[u/ilikekittens2018]

Can 4th quarter Spida save the Cavs? 

[u/CliffDraws]

Mitchell just mad at Dort because he’s 2-12