Cavs vs. Thunder: 5 Stats To Know Ahead of Tantalizing Clash

It’s not LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant but Cavs vs. Thunder is as good as basketball gets right now.

Oklahoma City is quite literally bringing the thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking like the favorite to win MVP, Jalen Williams is proving a more than capable Robin to his Batman, and the team’s defense is looking like one of the most stifling in league history.

With the team peaking on a 15-game win streak, a mouth watering clash with the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers awaits on Wednesday.

The Cavs themselves have won 10 straight, have an offense that looks revitalized, and are playing with the swagger of a team that knows it can take on all comers.

While there is a clear alpha dog in Oklahoma City, Cleveland’s work has been more by committee as Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen have all had excellent seasons to put the Cavs on top of the East.

Both teams are currently on pace for at least 70 wins, which would mark the first time in league history that two teams finish with 70-plus wins in the same season.

This is as must-watch as an early January game can get and here’s five stats to help you know the teams better:

Home Dominance

With this game being in Cleveland, it’s worth remembering that the Cavs are a mighty 18-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Cleveland’s only defeat at home came in a surprise on Nov. 27 against Atlanta. Trae Young had that game on a string, finishing with 20 points and a career-high 22 assists.

The Thunder will get their chance at hosting this matchup soon enough, on Jan. 16. Oklahoma City is a not too shabby 17-2 at home with losses coming to Golden State and Dallas.

No Team Defends Like The Thunder

If anyone wasn’t fully sold on Oklahoma City’s defense, their biggest statement came on Sunday when limiting the Celtics to just 27 second-half points in a 13-point win.

What’s arguably most impressive about that effort is the fact that Boston scored 65 points in the first half and looked to have the Thunder defense figured out. Instead, Oklahoma City went into the locker room at halftime and regrouped to completely shut down Boston.

Incredibly, reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown was held scoreless in the second half on 0-for-7 shooting. Boston as a team connected on just three of its 24 three-point attempts.

For the season, Oklahoma City leads the league in defensive rating by a mile allowing just 103.6 points per-100 possessions. Orlando is second and allows nearly four points per-100 possessions more.

Cavs Leading League In Offensive Efficiency

Making this matchup all the more spicy is knowing that the Thunder’s league-best defense will have to try and tame the league’s best offense.

Cleveland boasts an offensive rating of 123.4, ahead of both New York (122.1) and Boston (121.5) — teams the Thunder just made a statement against in defeating over the past week.

The Cavs are the best three-point shooting team in the league knocking down 41.2 percent of its attempts. They are also the best mid-range shooting team in the league at 49.4 percent. Effectively, they are the best jump shooting team.

Remarkably, Cleveland has six players shooting at least 40 percent from three while attempting at least two threes a game. Adding to the outside shooting prowess, Max Strus only recently returned to the rotation from injury and has yet to get going with 27.8 percent shooting on 5.1 attempts per game.

On The Run

A big part of the Cavs’ offense is their transition game, adding a league-leading 4.5 points per-100 possessions in that area. That stat is all the more impressive when considering Cleveland gets out in transition at the league’s 20th most frequent rate.

The point is they know how to make it count when they do get out on the break, averaging a league-best 139.1 points per-100 transition possessions.

Remember OKC’s amazing defense? With their swarming length on the perimeter, the Thunder are able to get out on the break at the fourth-most frequent rate in the league, though their efficiency on the break is 13th best.

How these aspects of the respective teams’ play out on Wednesday will likely play a key factor in determining the winner.

When Will The Game Be Won?

Both teams are very good in the fourth quarter and in the clutch.

The Thunder have a plus-10.7 net rating in the fourth quarter while the Cavs aren’t far behind at plus-7.9. Both teams occupy the top two spots in clutch time net rating as well, which is considered to be the final five minutes of games within five points or fewer.

While both start games very well, Oklahoma City will have to be wary of just how strong Cleveland is out of the gate. The Thunder have a very strong plus-12.5 net rating in the first quarter but the Cavs are outscoring teams by 21.8 points per-100 possessions in the first quarter.

Even in Cleveland gets off to a strong start, Oklahoma City will have full confidence it can work its way back. No team has shown an ability to adjust in the third quarter like the Thunder, as they boast an impressive plus-13.5 net rating which is only second to New York.

The Cavs are a plus-5.1 in third quarters, so don’t be surprised if OKC maintain their habit of turning games in the third quarter.