The Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET on TNT below. Shaquille O’Neal from NBA Insider called in to preview the NBA Finals. Dubbed “The Rematch,” this highly anticipated match-up comes on the heels of last week’s historic showdown that captivated basketball fans around the world.
The two teams last met on January 8, when the Cavaliers beat the Thunder 129-122 in Cleveland in what was described as “the game of the year” and an “instant classic” in a “finals-like atmosphere.”
It was the first game in NBA history between a team on a 15-game winning streak (Oklahoma City) and a team on a 10-game winning streak (Cleveland). Additionally, this was the first game between the two teams that they both entered with a winning percentage of .850 or higher.
Here are the key facts to know about the rematch (stats and rankings available through January 14):
rematch
- 2 – Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the first of two Western Conference MVP awards this season, and is second in the league in scoring with 31.4 points per game – narrowly trailing No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.5 ppg). . ).
- 3 -The Thunder have three players who rank in the top six in the NBA in steals per game: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (third; 2.03 spg), Jalen Williams (fifth; 1.77 spg) and Cason Wallace (sixth; 1.71 spg).
- 6 -The Cavaliers have won six straight road games, each by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 15.8 points per game. They have the best record in the NBA at 14-3 this season.
- 9 -The Thunder have won nine straight games at home, with their last loss at the Baycom Center on November 17 to the Dallas Mavericks.
- 11 -The Cavaliers have won all 11 games this season. A win in Oklahoma City would make them the sixth team since 1970-71 to start the season 12-0 against the opposite team.
- 12.8 – The Thunder are on pace to set an NBA record in a single season with an average point differential of 12.8 points per game, surpassing the 12.28 set by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1971-1972 season.
- 19 – In the last 19 regular season games, Oklahoma City has gone 18-1 and Cleveland has gone 17-2.
- 20 – Cleveland (34-5) and Oklahoma City (33-6) are among the 20 teams in NBA history to start a season 33-6 or better through 39 games.
- 39 -Both teams are off to their best starts ever through the first 39 games of the season.
- 44.1 -The Cavaliers’ backcourt of Donovan Mitchell (23.1 ppg) and Darius Garland (21.0 ppg) is averaging 44.1 points per game.
- 70.4 – Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen is second in the NBA in field goal percentage at 70.4%. His teammate Evan Mobley ranks tenth in this category with 57.7%.
- 102.9 Oklahoma City has the highest defensive rating in the NBA at 102.9.
- 121.3 Cleveland leads the league in offensive rating with 121.3.
- 1.4 b – Both teams achieved 1.4 billion impressions across @NBA platforms this season, an increase of 103% year over year.
Review: Cavaliers vs. Thunder on January 8
- 1 – The Cavaliers hit the trending topic worldwide on X during their win over the Thunder.
- 30 – There were 30 lead changes in the match, the second most in a match this season.
- 19,432 – A crowd of 19,432 fans attended the game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
- 1.87 m The game averaged 1.87 million viewers on ESPN, an increase of 20% compared to the same period last year.
