Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Dominate Cavs With Ability to Adapt

For an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is 34-6, there has been no shortage of adversity this season. The no-excuse Thunder have had to navigate being without Chet Holmgren for the majority of the regular season, Alex Caruso missing over ten games, Isaiah Hartenstein in street clothes with two different week-plus long stints now, and rookie contributor Ajay Mitchell sidelined for the next 10-to-12 weeks. Not to mention starting the year without key reserves Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams in the process.

Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, the team with the best record in the NBA heading into tonight, the Thunder were facing an uphill battle. Oklahoma City was down Holmgren and Hartenstein against two top-15 big men in the league. The Thunder won 134-114 in a game that was worse than the lopsided score indicates.

This was on the back of what the Thunder have often shown: A unique ability to adapt to circumstances and dictate games.

"They imposed their will," Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson put it simply after the game. "We knew it was coming. We knew their force was coming. That's their identity. It was an avalanche, and we never responded."

Against the two Cavs big men, the Thunder lacked height but they didn't lack heart. Oklahoma City not only imposed its will but flat-out embarrassed Cleveland by lapping them in the effort, hustle and scrap category.

So much so, that Atkinson fought fire with fire, yanking Mobley and Allen off the floor in favor of going small. That didn't work either.

“We tried to go small to get back in it but then we lost our rim protection….. our tactical adjustments didn’t work….. it was one of those nights where nothing worked," Atkinson told the media following this game.

Check mate.

"Our whole goal was to just be so good playing small, that they tried to go small," Thunder Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame "Being grimey when the bigs brought the ball down, getting loose balls, helping each other out scrambling out there...Once the game goes small, it is our game, our style and we were able to hold them off the rest of the night."

After the Cavs' big men totaled 16 minutes each in the first half of last Wednesday's contest between these two teams, they played 18 minutes total in the rematch, just 13 each before intermission.

Cleveland's bench boss summed it up well, the Thunder imposed its will by adapting to the seven-foot holes left behind by Oklahoma City's two centers in street clothes and dictated how this game was played. Forcing Atkinson to play the Thunder's style.

"I thought last week, we were behind the ball and they just outscored us last week. Tonight, we were more on brand defensively. We were more sharp in our attacks and downhill at them and got the ball ahead of them tonight. We did a great job of understanding what the game needed to be in order to be in our favor and going out and executing that," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said postgame.

Hand up, this scribe - like many - picked Cleveland to win this game. While acknowledging there was a path - albeit one with little room for error - for the Thunder to pull off an impressive victory.

On top of outworking Cleveland on the defensive end, creating turnovers, never giving up on loose balls and tap out rebounds and discombobulating the Cavs scorers the Thunder played a perfect offensive game.

In the first half, where the Thunder lead swelled to more than 20, Oklahoma City shot 57.9% from 3-point land. That will do it.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was every bit the MVP he was billed as going for 40 points in three quarters. Lu Dort continued to be "Big game Lu," en route to 6-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Jalen Williams chipped in 19 points, Isaiah Joe tossed in 12 and even ten-day contract center Branden Carlson set a career-high with 11 including six points in the opening frame - the first time in his NBA career receiving meaningful minutes.

Not only did the physicality and hustle become the deciding factor in determining a victor and not only did the Thunder make the needed adjustments defensively but Oklahoma City adapted to Cleveland's style.

The Cavs tossed out a zone defense in the fourth quarter last week that junked up the game and halted the Thunder's attack. Cleveland, rightfully so, went back to that zone in this contest - without the success.

"Last time [Cleveland[ zoned us, we did not really attack much," Jalen Williams said "Now we just, played. If we make a mistake we do, just get better through that experience and embrace being zoned up. We did a good job, finding open spaces and making shots."

In 12 half court zone possesions in the fourth quarter of last Wednesday's contest between these two team's, the Thunder went 4-for-9 from the field and coughed up three turnovers to put the bow on the Cavs win. This go around? Cleveland only deployed a half-court zone nine times with the Thunder generating an excellent 1.667 points per possession. Score one for adaptability.

Of the 34 wins, this is perhaps the most impressive, but it is rooted in consistent traits and habits the Thunder have built under Mark Daigneault and with this core.

Stiles Points

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 7-0 on the second night of a back to back and look to remain unbeaten against Dallas tonight.
Branden Carlson had a career-high 11 points, seeing first quarter action.
OKC is now tied for the best record in the NBA.
Jalen Williams showed why he deserves All-Star and All-Defensive honors in this game. With coaches selecting the reserves for the All-Star game, What do coaches love? Defense and wins. OKC has won the most games and it has been because of Williams' elite defense. For as good as Oklahoma City is - truly historic - on the defensive end, it would not be possible without the switchability of the Santa Clara product.

Song of the Day: Oklahoma Hills by Buck Owens

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