Washington (AFP) – In a historic showdown seen as a possible NBA Finals preview, Jarrett Allen scored 25 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers over Oklahoma City 129-122 on Wednesday. The NBA-leading Cavaliers improved to 32-4 with their 11th consecutive win while the visiting Western Conference-leading Thunder fell to 30-6 with their club-record 15-game win streak snapped.
“It felt like a battle all night,” Allen said. “We were scoring, they were scoring, getting stops on both sides. We knew at the end of the night it was coming down to which team had more effort.” On a night when Cavs star Donovan Mitchell scored only 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting, Cleveland’s big men took command. Allen topped scorers while adding 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals while working with Evan Mobley, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. They became the first Cavaliers teammates to each register 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game since LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in 2017.
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“We were willing to try it,” Allen said of the two-man inside tandem. “We’re learning to grow together. It was a learning curve. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen overnight, but Evan and I are willing to work together and try to find the best thing that works.”
Seven players scored in double figures for Cleveland, including Darius Garland with 18 points, reserve Max Strus with 17, and 15 off the bench from Ty Jerome. “Everybody is ready to play,” Allen said. “Everybody is willing to make the next pass to the open man and we have a bunch of shooters on this team who can knock down shots.”
It was only the third game in NBA history featuring two clubs on win streaks of 10 or more games and the first time since the Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland in 2000. It was only the second time in NBA history there was a game involving teams that won 30 or more of their first 35 games, the other being the Lakers and Milwaukee in the 1971-72 campaign.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 31 points while Jalen Williams added 25 for Oklahoma City, which hosts a rematch on January 16. The Cavs, who began the season 15-0, put the most accurate-shooting NBA club against the league’s top defense. In the third quarter, they each scored 40 points, an NBA first this season. The game stayed close into the final minutes with the Cavs ahead 125-122 after 30 lead changes. Mobley’s floater gave Cleveland a 127-122 lead with 67 seconds remaining. Garland sank a layup with 27 seconds left for the final margin.
“We have the best record but in games like this you want to prove yourself, not just to everybody, but to ourselves,” Mitchell said.
– **Bucks defeat Spurs** –
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists to spark the Milwaukee Bucks over the visiting San Antonio Spurs and their 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama 121-105. Frenchman Wembanyama had 10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and one assist. Damian Lillard scored a game-high 26 points with five rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks.
“I feel great about our team,” said Lillard. “I love what we’re becoming. We’ve just got to continue to grow in the right direction.” Greece’s Antetokounmpo, the NBA’s top scorer, set a Bucks career record for double-doubles with 432. “I’m just trying to play hard, trying to be consistent for my team,” Antetokounmpo said. “When you do that way, individual accolades happen, but I just want to win games.”
With three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic out due to illness, the host Denver Nuggets crushed the Los Angeles Clippers 126-103. Jamal Murray led Denver with 21 points. Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points to lead host Philadelphia over Washington 109-103 and Malik Beasley scored 23 points to lead Detroit’s 113-98 victory at Brooklyn. Karl-Anthony Towns and O.G. Anunoby each scored 27 points to lead the New York Knicks over visiting Toronto 112-98 while Pascal Siakam scored 26 points to power Indiana over visiting Chicago 129-113. Deni Avdija scored 26 points to spark Portland’s 119-100 victory at New Orleans.
© 2024 AFP
