CLEVELAND, Ohio — Do you believe now?
That was Donovan Mitchell’s question following the Cavs’ riveting 129-122 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the most anticipated and hyped regular season game to date.
“It’s very clear that we belong here,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think we are waiting for the national media to be like, ‘Oh they belong.’ For us, we knew, but you’ve got to go out there and prove it, respectfully. We went 31-4 and people still don’t believe. Win tonight and people still don’t believe. We’ve got to continue to just to be us. We’ve got a lot of talented players and if you don’t see it by now, then I don’t know what else to say.”
There’s nothing to say. Cleveland’s performance declared it: This is the NBA’s best team. Right now.
Oklahoma City entered Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse coming off back-to-back wins against two of the Eastern Conference’s elite — New York and Boston. The Thunder hadn’t lost a game that counted in nearly 40 days. They boasted the NBA’s best defense, point differential and net rating. The best in the East vs. the best in the West.
Another historic night. For the Cavs.
They ended Oklahoma City’s 15-game winning streak and improved to 32-4, the best start to a season in team history — on pace to match Golden State’s record of 73 regular-season wins set in 2015-16.
“The players said, ‘We don’t win this game last year,’” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson relayed. “That says a lot about our growth, their maturity, kind of where they are and their evolution as a team. We know we’re being judged at this level now. I think the guys feel good that they rose to the occasion and I’m sure there was doubt before the game. Can we do it? So, it was an important win for us.”
Given the magnitude, the build-up, the opponent, the stage and the intensity, it was certainly their best win.
Making any sweeping declaration or definitive conclusion based on one game is imprudent. It’s only the first week of January. No need to start booking June hotels in Bricktown or some other spot out west. Neither team was at full strength, with the Cavs missing sharpshooting reserve Sam Merrill (ankle) and the Thunder not having defensive experts Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. The Cavaliers’ litmus test is still months away. Playoff basketball is different.
But this wasn’t just one game. It’s been more than two months of dominance — and the doubted Cavs have slayed every supposed NBA giant.
New York. Milwaukee — three times. Boston. Philadelphia. Denver. Dallas. Oklahoma City.
Wednesday was supposed to be the stiffest test yet. And it was.
Thirty lead changes. Eight ties. No team ahead by more than nine. The Cavs were in front for 24 minutes while the Thunder led for 22. Cleveland’s biggest scoring run was eight. Oklahoma City’s was seven.
“We got hit. Fought back. Hit again. Kept going back. Got the lead. Kept the lead. That’s the sign of a championship team,” Mitchell said. “How do we find ways to respond in adversity? How do we find ways to continue to be who we are through success?”
There were shrewd tactical maneuvers, clutch shots and gutsy challenges. The sellout crowd roared, gasped and murmured. Possessions were precious and execution was paramount. It was frenetic and physical. Kind of felt like … never mind.
Cavs-Thunder delivered. In every way.
It was one of the best midseason basketball games in years — everything that was promised, everything the NBA was hoping for when it flexed this game into the national spotlight.
“It was a beautiful game,” Atkinson said. “I think it had a playoff atmosphere and playoff competition. I felt like there was no extracurricular stuff. It was just pure basketball, pure competition. I mean obviously whoever won, lost, it was just a good game for the league and for the fans. We all enjoy competition, but to see all that talent out there tonight, these were the heavy hitters of the league, and the quality of the basketball was super high.”
The Cavs surgically carved the league’s best defense, shooting 52.2% from the field and 41.7% from 3-point range. They ran their usual fast-paced, unpredictable, rhythmic, cut-heavy offense and repeatedly generated quality looks.
That offensive eruption featured a 41-point third quarter, just the fifth time any opponent has reached the 40-point threshold against Oklahoma City’s dogged defense. In all, it was the Thunder’s second-worst performance at that end of the floor all season, just the fourth time finishing with a 120 defensive rating or worse.
And the Cavs did it with Mitchell, their leading scorer, in a figurative stranglehold — more affirmation that this is hardly a one-man show.
Hounded by burly Lu Dort, who will likely be getting some end-of-season All-Defense recognition, Mitchell finished with 11 points, his second-lowest total, on 3 of 16 from the field and 2 of 7 from 3-point range in 35 minutes. It took until the 1:53 mark of the second quarter to score his first points — a pair of free throws. His first made basket didn’t come until the closing seconds of the first half.
For most of the game, Mitchell played a supporting role alongside the three other members of Cleveland’s ballyhooed Core 4 — Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
“Sometimes being a leader is staying out of the way and allowing guys to be great, which is what you saw tonight,” Mitchell said. “Everybody that came in did something positive to affect the game, whether it was scoring, rebounding, defending, whatever it may be. That’s a team win. That’s what it’s going to take for us to be the team we want to be. This is one game and no championships are won tonight, but this is something to be proud of.
“This isn’t just about one person. This is a group thing. We showed it tonight on the biggest stage. Really proud of everybody. But those three in particular, they did their thing and carried us like three All-Stars do.”
Despite his repeated campaigning for Garland, Mobley and Allen, Mitchell is likely going to be the only Cavalier voted in as an All-Star starter.
Perhaps that changes after Wednesday. Big stage. More eyeballs. Cleveland as the NBA’s epicenter.
Allen exorcised some demons against old playoff foe Isaiah Hartenstein, finishing with a monstrous double-double (25 points and 12 rebounds).
“I thought J.A. was incredible all around,” Atkinson said. “It was great for a national television audience to see what a great, all-around player he is.”
Allen’s frontcourt mate, Evan Mobley, repeatedly punished switches and attacked mismatches with a ferocity and aggressiveness that helped highlight how much he has evolved. He also served as a deft playmaker out of the pocket when the Thunder sent two defenders at Garland or Mitchell.
Mobley tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block and a steal in 35 dominant minutes. In the final minute, a one-possession game, with the Cavs clinging to a three-point lead, Atkinson drew up an after-timeout play for Mobley who drained a clutch 11-footer over Hartenstein. The plan was to force a switch, so Mobley could hunt the foul-plagued Shai Gilgeous-Alexander instead. But the Thunder countered that. Mobley made it work anyway.
“They finally learned who Evan Mobley is, and they still have a lot more to learn,” Allen said. “He was doing everything for us. On the defensive end, he was getting stops. On the offensive end, we literally just drew up a play and gave him the ball and said, ‘Go to work.’”
Garland, another All-Star hopeful who believes he is worthy of his second career selection, had 18 points, including the dagger with 27.1 seconds that pushed the Cleveland lead back to a game-high seven.
“This is who he’s been,” Mitchell said of Garland. “He had one rough year and I think we all, not us, but no disrespect, but y’all put that on him like that’s who he was. This is who he’s been his whole career. A closer. Clutch player. That’s what you’re seeing — the growth from all of us.”
Max Strus and Ty Jerome made big contributions off the bench, with 17 points and 15 points respectively. In all, the Cavs had seven players reach double figures — the sixth time that has happened this season.
Depth. Talent. Balance. Diversity. Versatility. Continuity. Unpredictability. Chemistry. Belief. Cleveland has it all. It can play fast or slow, big or small, inside or outside.
What else do the Cavs have to prove?
Forget any chatter about them being soft. Not anymore. Not Allen. Not Mobley. The two keep dominating — and protecting — the paint just like Wednesday.
Forget the doubts about not being able to play two bigs in the modern era. The Cavs have a net rating of 13.1 with them on the floor together.
Forget the discussion about Mitchell not having enough help. Six guys are averaging double figures and his numbers, by design, are down across the board.
Forget any talk about stylistic on-court conflict between Garland and Mitchell. They are plus-121 in 565 minutes.
Forget the questions about Cleveland not being able to consistently function on the offensive end in the halfcourt. They entered Wednesday ranked first in half court efficiency.
Forget the idea that the Cavs may not have enough quality wing defenders. They forced MVP candidate Gilgeous-Alexander to take 27 shots in order to score his 31 points. According to NBA.com matchup data, all 10 Cavaliers took a turn. Caris LeVert had the most success, holding SGA to 1 of 5 from the field. Dean Wade, the other primary defender, limited him to 1 of 3. Gilgeous-Alexander’s most success came against Allen and Mobley following switches, hitting seven of his 11 attempts against that tandem.
“That’s as good of a job as you could do on him,” Jerome said of the collective defensive effort. “Nothing was easy in the paint. I think he only shot four free throws, so that’s exactly what we wanted to do and we executed that very well.”
The Cavs have the league’s best record. They entered Wednesday with an 11.8 margin of victory, the fifth-highest margin of victory in NBA history. The latest triumph gives them 11 straight Ws — their second winning streak this season of at least that many. They are the seventh team in league history to win at least 32 of their first 36 games. Four of those won the title. They are perfect (11-0) against the Western Conference. They not only lead the NBA in 3-point shooting, but it would be the eight-best mark ever. They have four players with legitimate All-Star resumes. They are No. 1 in offense and No. 8 in defense, one of five teams top 10 in both. They are 15-4 against teams .500 and above.
All of the evidence points to them being a legitimate threat to Boston’s throne.
“We’re relentless,” Garland said. “Best team in the league. This team is great.”
That’s as braggadocious as the Cavs have gotten all season.
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s marquee matchup, Atkinson and players took a different approach, humbly talking about the Thunder being their latest test.
Forget that, too. They are the test.
