94Ha Viewpoint
In a matchup that was seen as a preview of the NBA Finals on Thursday (January 9) Singapore time, Allen scored 25 points and led the East Coast leader Cleveland Cavaliers to beat the West Coast leader Oklahoma City Thunder 129-122.
The Cavaliers, who lead the NBA league, won 11 consecutive games and improved their record to 32 wins and 4 losses, while the Thunder, who played away, ended their record-breaking 15-game winning streak with a record of 30 wins and 6 losses.
Allen said in an interview after the game: “It felt like we were fighting all night. We scored, they also scored, and both sides defended closely. We knew that at the end of the game, it would depend on which team worked harder.”
The Cavaliers’ star Mitchell performed poorly in this game, scoring only 11 points with only three of 16 shots. The inside players stepped up to control the game. Allen scored a game-high 25 points, and also got 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. His partner Mobley scored 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. They also became the first pair of Cavaliers teammates to score 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in the same game since James and Wade in 2017.
Seven Cavaliers players scored in double figures
In addition, the Cavaliers had seven players scoring in double figures, including Garland’s 18 points, Strus’ 17 points off the bench, and Jerome’s 15 points.
This is the third game in NBA history between two teams with at least 10 consecutive wins or more, and the first time since the LA Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000.
The Cavaliers and Thunder both won 30 or more games in the first 35 games of this season. This is the second time in NBA history that such a matchup has occurred between the two teams. The other time was the game between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971-72 season.
Alexander, the Thunder’s main player, scored a team-high 31 points for the team, and teammate Williams contributed 25 points. The Thunder will play against the Cavaliers again at home on the morning of January 17, Singapore time.
