Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Starting 5, Jan. 16: Ready. Set. Rematch. Cavs-Thunder Round 2 Tonight

Will we see another instant classic as the Thunder meet the Cavs for the second time in nine days? Plus, a full Wednesday recap.

Round 1 was a classic.

Round 2 is tonight.

East-leading Cavs. West-leading Thunder.

Buckle up for “The Rematch” between the NBA’s top two teams, with OKC home this time (7:30 ET, TNT/truTV/Max).


5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 16, 2025

The Rematch: Everything you need to know ahead of Cavs-Thunder Round 2 in 2 minutes

By The Numbers: How special is tonight’s matchup? The numbers speak for themselves

Hoops World Buzzing: What voices around the NBA are saying about Thursday’s clash

Wednesday Duels: Brunson vs. Maxey, Ja vs. Wemby and Steph vs. Ant delivered

Roundup: Playoff implications, roaring wins and more from Wednesday’s 11-game slate


BUT FIRST … ⏰
A beautiful night of ball…

“The Rematch” isn’t the only must-see matchup tonight, as the surging Kings host the red-hot Rockets in the second leg of TNT’s doubleheader while three games get underway on League Pass.

Wildfire Relief Efforts: The entire NBA, NBPA, WNBA and WNBPA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time. To learn more, get help and/or support, visit NBA Cares.


1. THE REMATCH: CAVS AT THUNDER TONIGHT

“It was just pure basketball,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson after last week’s historic showdown between Cleveland and OKC.

“Forget who won, who lost – it was just great,” said Atkinson. “Great for the game.”

The unprecedented duel produced a classic, featuring 30 lead changes and zero double-digit leads, as the Cavs earned a thrilling 129-122 win on their home floor, extending their win streak to 11 games while snapping OKC’s at 15.

Tonight, the top two teams in the league will run it back – this time, in front of OKC’s raucous crowd – in a matchup of strength versus strength (7:30 ET, TNT/truTV/Max).

  • Home Thunder: OKC has won nine straight games at home, with its last loss at Paycom Center coming 60 days ago on Nov. 17
  • Road Cavs: Cleveland is an NBA-best 14-3 on the road, including six straight wins by an average of 15.8 ppg, with its last road loss coming on Dec. 8
  • Best vs. Best: The Thunder and Cavs are not only first in their respective conferences, but OKC boasts the NBA’s top-rated defense and will face Cleveland’s top-rated offense
  • Defensive Storm: The Thunder are on pace to become just the second team to lead the NBA in steals, opponent FG% and opponent 3P% since the 3-point line was introduced in 1979-80
  • Can’t-Miss Cavs: Cleveland is on track to become just the 12th team in NBA history to lead the league in FG% and 3P%, and the first since the 2017-18 Warriors

But in their first matchup eight days ago, it was the Cavs’ defense that made the difference down the stretch, holding the Thunder scoreless in the final two minutes to earn a hard-fought dub in a heavyweight bout with Playoff-like intensity.

  • The Finisher: In a game that delivered moment after moment and run after run, Cleveland delivered the final blow, outscoring OKC 23-15 in the final 9:05 for the win
  • Bigs Come Up Big: Jarrett Allen led the way for the Cavs with 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Evan Mobley added 21 points, 10 boards and seven dimes

Since the epic battle, both squads have continued to roll, joining a list of just 18 other teams to open a season 33-6 or better through 39 games.

  • OKC Response: The Thunder haven’t lost since falling in Cleveland, winning three straight games by an average of 27.3 points – boosting their league-best plus/minus to +12.8
  • MVP Campaign: In that time, SGA has overtaken the top spot on the Kia MVP Ladder
  • With a win tonight, OKC would tie Cleveland for the best record in the NBA and earn a split of the two-game season series
  • Rematch Ready: Meanwhile, the Pacers snapped the Cavs’ 12-game win streak on Sunday, but Cleveland took Round 2 against Indy on Tuesday before Thursday’s main event
  • With a win tonight, the Cavs would become just the eighth team to start 35-5 or better through 40 games

2. CLEVELAND & OKC’S DOMINANT SEASONS BY THE NUMBERS

Round 1 between Cleveland and OKC was the first matchup in NBA history featuring two teams from different conferences with .845+ win percentages through 35 games.

Round 2 will be the second.

Just how ridiculously good have these two squads been this season? We’ll let the numbers speak for themselves…

1: This is the first season in Thunder/SuperSonics franchise history that the team has notched 33+ wins in its first 39 games. It’s also the first season in Cavs franchise history that Cleveland’s notched 34+ wins in 39 games.

2: Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are on track to join Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as the only backcourts in NBA history to average 20+ ppg on 40%+ shooting from 3 in a season.

3: The Thunder have three players ranked in the top six in the NBA in steals per game: Gilgeous-Alexander (3rd: 2.03), Jalen Williams (5th: 1.77) and Cason Wallace (6th: 1.71).

7: With a minimum of 20 games played and 20+ minutes per game, the top seven NBA players in DefRtg are all Thunder, including OKC’s starting 5 of SGA, Williams, Wallace, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein.

  • iHart Out: OKC is 22-2 in games where Hartenstein plays, but the big man was ruled out for tonight’s matchup with a calf strain

11: The Cavs are 11-0 against the West this season. A win in OKC would make them the just sixth team since 1970-71 to start a season 12-0 against the opposite conference.

12.8: OKC’s +12.8 point differential would set a new NBA record for the best in a single season, surpassing the 1971-72 Lakers (12.3) – who went on to win it all.

19: In their last 19 regular-season games, the Thunder are 18-1 and the Cavs are 17-2 for a combined record of 35-3.

30 (& 2): Posting 31.4 points and 2.0 steals per game, SGA is on pace to become just the third player in NBA history to average 30+ points and 2+ steals in consecutive seasons.

  • His Company? Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan (MJ did it for seven straight seasons)

70.4: Jarrett Allen ranks third in the NBA in field goal percentage at 70.4%, while Evan Mobley ranks 13th (57.7%) with a minimum of 30 GP and 5 FGA per game.

102.9: Oklahoma City owns the NBA’s top defensive rating at 102.9.

121.3: Cleveland leads the league in offensive rating at 121.3.

Which numbers stood out in Cleveland and OKC’s first matchup?

7. Although SGA dropped a game-high 31 points, the Cavs had seven players score in double figures compared to OKC’s five.

30. The 30 lead changes were the second-most in an NBA game this season.

43. Cleveland’s bench outscored OKC’s 43-26, led by Max Strus (17) and Ty Jerome (15).

84. The 3rd quarter featured 84 points and 14 lead changes while becoming the season’s first quarter in which both teams scored 40+ points.

5. In the final 5 minutes of the game, Cleveland outscored OKC 13-8, hauling in the last 5 rebounds while scoring the final 5 points to seal the win.

“It felt like a battle the whole night,” said Allen after the win. “They were scoring, we were scoring … At the end of the night, it came down to which team had more effort.”


3. THE REMATCH HAS THE HOOPS WORLD BUZZING – AGAIN

“It’s what the NBA’s about,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his postgame presser on last week’s battle in Cleveland. “A chance to play the best teams, the best players in the world…

“It’s what you wake up for. It’s what you get excited for before you go to sleep.”

From the players to the coaches to even the commentators, last week’s highly-anticipated showdown didn’t just meet expectations – it exceeded it.

  • “Right from the opening tip,” said ESPN’s Mike Breen on the broadcast. “The competitiveness, the tenacity was not your regular season normal game.”
  • “It was a great game,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault postgame. “Great environment, great test for both teams … that was a good experience.”
  • “I think it had everything,” added Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson postgame. “Playoff-like atmosphere, Playoff-like competition … really great for the fans.”

As the historic duel delivered relentless drama, the hoops world couldn’t stop buzzing.

 

Thursday’s rematch in OKC has the hoops world amped again.

Check out more reactions to last week’s instant classic and chatter around tonight’s rematch, including a bold prediction from Shaq himself.


4. STAR DUELS HIGHLIGHT AN ACTION-PACKED WEDNESDAY

A trio of star showdowns stole the show on a Wednesday that saw 22 teams take the floor.

Knicks 125, 76ers 119 (OT): After trailing by as many as 16, Tyrese Maxey (33 pts, 6 ast) willed the Sixers back and scored their final seven points in regulation to force OT, but Jalen Brunson was too much, as the Knicks outscored Philly 16-10 in the extra frame to get the win. | Recap | Must-See Finish

  • Brunson Burner: Brunson scored 16 of his game-high 38 points in the 4th quarter and OT and finished the game 14-of-22 from the floor
  • Nova Knicks: Mikal Bridges added 23 points for New York while Josh Hart notched his fifth triple-double of the season (10 pts, 17 reb, 12 ast)

Grizzlies 129, Spurs 115: Victor Wembanyama posted a near triple-double with 13 points, 12 boards and eight blocks – all of which came in the 1st half (!) – but Ja Morant wouldn’t be denied, leading the Grizzlies to a dub with 21 points and 12 assists. | Recap

  • Ja-Dropping: It didn’t count, but Morant threw down a preposterous jam after the whistle that you gotta see
  • Block Party: Wemby joins Tim Duncan as the only Spurs to record 8+ blocks in a half since 1997-98

Warriors 116, Wolves 115: Despite falling into a 24-point hole in the 1st quarter, Anthony Edwards and the Wolves refused to go away, tying the game late in the 4th quarter.

But Steph Curry came through in the clutch, splashing a lead-extending 3 and the game-sealing free throws in the final minute to lift the Warriors over the Wolves. | Recap

  • Curry vs. Ant: Curry tallied a game-high 31 points, while Ant finished with 28, alongside Donte DiVincenzo

5. ROUNDUP: PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS, EMPHATIC DUBS & MORE

Bucks 122, Magic 93: In a clash between two East contenders, Damian Lillard (30 pts, 4 stl) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (26 pts, 11 reb) combined for 56 points to lead the Bucks past Paolo Banchero (22 pts) and the Magic, jumping Orlando for 4th place in the East. | Recap

Rockets 128, Nuggets 108: In another marquee matchup, Jalen Green went off for 34 points on six 3s as the Rockets earned their fifth straight win with a wire-to-wire dub over the Nuggets, who were without Nikola Jokić. | Recap

Lakers 117, Heat 108: LeBron James and Anthony Davis dropped 22 points apiece, while Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 23 to outlast the Heat, despite Tyler Herro’s big night (34 pts, 7 3s). | Recap

Raptors 110, Celtics 97: Toronto held Boston to its second lowest-scoring total this season, while RJ Barrett (22 pts, 8 ast) and Scottie Barnes (18 pts, 9 ast) led the way offensively to knock off the C’s in the 6. | Recap

Pelicans 119, Mavericks 116: Dejounte Murray led the Pels with a season-high 30 points, while Trey Murphy III added 24 to edge out the shorthanded Mavs. NOLA is now 5-4 in 2025, matching their 2024 win total. | Recap

Hawks 110, Bulls 94: In his 17th career game, Keaton Wallace dropped a career-high 27 points while the Hawks’ defense stymied the Bulls’ high-octane offense for the win. | Recap

Hornets 117, Jazz 112: Mark Williams (31), LaMelo Ball (27), Miles Bridges (25) and Brandon Miller (20) combined for 88% of the Hornets’ points as they rallied past Keyonte George (26) and the Jazz. | Recap

Clippers 126, Nets 67: James Harden passed Dominique Wilkins (26,668) for 15th on the all-time scoring list en route to 21 points and 11 dimes, as the Clips rolled to a 59-point win – their largest victory in franchise history. | Recap

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