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Wrap-Up -- Quicken Loans Arena was geared up a for a good one on Saturday afternoon – with LeBron James on the cusp of making history and the star-studded Thunder in town.
But the Thunder took the crowd – (and eventually the Cavs) – out of it early, running out to a 19-point edge after one quarter and never looking back, handing the Wine & Gold the lopsided 148-124 loss at The Q.
History was eventually made, but it wasn’t the kind Cleveland was hoping for as the Cavaliers allowed a franchise-tying 148 points to Oklahoma City, matching a mark that stood since 1972 – the franchise’s second year of existence.
Making matters worse, the historic event fans did come to see – LeBron James reaching the 30,000-point plateau – never happened, as James watched the final six minutes of Saturday’s affair from the bench, still seven points shy of his landmark moment.
The loss was Cleveland’s ninth in its last 12 outings – with six of those losses coming by double-digits and three of the last five by more than 20 points apiece.
On Saturday afternoon, the Thunder shot 58 percent as a team, canning 14 triples and handing out 37 assists. Paul George led everyone with 36 points while Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 10 boards) and Steven Adams (25, 10) and the reigning MVP Russell Westbrook (23 points, 20 assists) each doubled-up in the victory.
Making the one-sided loss even tougher to swallow was the fact that Cleveland played well offensively – shooting 52 percent from the field and handing out 32 helpers of their own. Their defense was another story – allowing OKC at least 33 points in all four quarters.
Isaiah Thomas tallied a season-high 24 points to lead the Cavs – going 8-for-14 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from long-distance, adding four assists in the loss.
LeBron needed 25 points to become just the seventh player in NBA history (and the youngest) to reach the 30,000 points, but he’ll have to settle for being three days older when he tops that mark on Tuesday night in San Antonio. On Saturday afternoon, James finished with 18 points on 8-for-17 shooting, adding a team-high seven assists, three boards and a blocked shot.
Jae Crowder chipped in with 17 points, going 7-for-12 from the floor, adding four boards and four assists.
Balanced scoring wasn't enough as the Wine & Gold fell to the Thunder.
Cleveland’s second unit combined for 57 points – with Jeff Green and Derrick Rose notching a dozen points apiece and Dwayne adding 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Tristan Thompson led the Cavaliers with seven boards to go with nine points – taking over in the middle after Kevin Love came under the weather and left the game in the first quarter.
Turning Point -- The Cavaliers never led on Saturday and were down double-digits by the halfway point of the first quarter – so a turning point never fully materialized in the 24-point loss.
About the only point in the game in which Cleveland mounted a serious threat came late in the third quarter, with the Cavaliers cutting OKC’s 20-point edge to 12 – using a 10-2 run to get back in the ballgame.
But the Thunder answered right back – with Paul George and Russell Westbrook draining triples to keep the Cavs at bay. And when Raymond Felton drilled a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter, OKC had reestablished their 20-point advantage heading into the final period.
By the Numbers – 29 … games so far this season that the Cavaliers’ second unit – which ranks 5th in the NBA at 40.7 ppg – has combined for at least 40 points, including Saturday’s 57-point collective at The Q.
Quotable – Isaiah Thomas, with an honest assessment of Saturday’s defeat at The Q …
"It’s embarrassing. It’s not acceptable. We can only go up from here – that’s the only positive about that. But we’ve got to really look in the mirror, look at ourselves and get some pride. That was embarrassing."
Up Next -- After wrapping up their three-game homestand with Saturday afternoon’s blowout at The Q, the Wine & Gold hit the road for a tough test on Tuesday, traveling to San Antonio to take on the Spurs. The Cavs then close out the month of January with three of their final four in Cleveland – welcoming the Pacers to town on Friday night and the Pistons the following Sunday evening. The Cavs then travel to Detroit to face the Pistons next Tuesday before wrapping up the month the following night against Miami at The Q.