A pair of conference finalists from last season will meet Monday when the Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the injury-plagued Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Cavaliers return home after their first blowout win in seven months, a 136-111 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday that saw big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combine for 52 points in less than 49 minutes of playing time.
Mobley scored a season-high 27 and Allen had 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the duo thoroughly dominated Bucks counterparts Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner. They were the impetus behind Cleveland’s fourth win in its last five contests.
“The coaches were telling everyone to get the ball to the bigs, reward the bigs,” said Allen, whose .641 career field goal%age is third in NBA history. “Honestly, the game plan was just to play like ourselves. Get the ball moving and play Cavs’ hoops.”
Standout guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden only attempted 15 shots combined as the team’s big men took charge.
“It was great because that was part of our film session,” Atkinson said. “Reward these guys because they’re both playing great. And good job by our perimeters, finding those guys in the right spots.
“I like that we stayed with it. It was probably our first complete game, where we connected four good quarters.”
Mobley is scoring a career-high 19.7 points per game. In training camp, Allen predicted Mobley would take another step forward this season.
“I didn’t lie to you guys because I know what I saw in Evan,” Allen said. “And he still has a ways to go. He’s going to be even better than he is now.”
The matchup of top teams Monday had been highly anticipated but will take on a decidedly different look with Oklahoma City down three starters with long-term injuries.
The Thunder have been without center Chet Holmgren (right patellar tendon tear), forward Jalen Williams (fractured left fibula, dislocated ankle) and guard Cason Wallace (torn left labrum) since their Oct. 25 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Alex Caruso (ankle) and Thomas Sorber (knee) are also not expected to play on Monday.
Oklahoma City is now reeling after two consecutive routs on the road by 20-plus points. Two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points Saturday in a 119-98 loss at the Houston Rockets, who went up by as many as 27 and coasted home.
“We’ve got to be better,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, whose team was 4-0 before the consecutive defeats. “Right now, we have to be a team that’s focused on competing.”
Jared McCain moved into the starting shooting guard spot and scored 10 points but missed all five of his 3-point attempts against the Rockets. Another second-year pro, forward Ajay Mitchell, stumbled to six points after he amassed 59 in the previous two games.
Undrafted rookie Bennett Stirtz did provide a modest lift with a season-high 11 points and three assists.
“We’ve got to look at the opportunity in these circumstances to broaden ourselves, whether that’s with players or tactics,” Daigneault said. “We’re in that process now. But we also have to play well.”
The two teams meet again in Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
