Oklahoma City Thunder vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction: Cavs play back-to-back against sweet surprise Thunder

The NBA trade deadline is less than two weeks away and so far, there is an indication that we will see a lot of players being moved. This is the best time to make a move considering the time to recover the record is still there. Keeping that in mind, let us get into the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a cross-Confernece affair.

The Thunder will enter the game after losing 132-137 against the Hawks despite a 36 points outing by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This was the team’s second loss in three games but in an extended window, they have won eight of their last 11 games which has enabled them to get 23 wins and 25 losses. This is a great return for a team that came into the season with low expectations and is certainly overachieving with their current lineup.

Of course, it is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is the main driver of the squad but he has had some strong help lately. Josh Giddey has elevated his scoring which is a huge boost as he already was providing quality rebounding and playmaking so the backcourt duo is set. Lu Dort has improved his shooting while others have chipped in here and there. But is this the peak of the Thunder? At any rate, these are exciting times for a Thunder fan.

The Cavaliers come into this game after winning 113:95 against the Rockets as Darius Garland drilled 26 points and 9 assists. They have been struggling as of late, losing six of their last eleven games. Thanks to a strong start, the Cavs have been in a great position with 30 wins and 10 losses. The Nets are in a close race against the Nets for fourth place and they have wasted a chance to get above them with their Ace Durant out and the unit weakened.

But some of them can be blamed for not having their own Ace Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs play at a slow pace and take their time with the shots which means they need someone who can be an effective isolation scorer. Not having Mitchell hurts that end but yes, to his credit, Darius Garland has been wonderful both as a scorer and playmaker. The Cavs play amazing defense, thanks to the gritty frontline of Mobley, Allen, and Okoro.

• Thunder: OUT: Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl;
• Cavaliers: OUT: Dylan Windler. Game-Time Decisions: Kevin Love, Donovan Mitchell.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(30-36 Points), Donovan Mitchell(27-33 Points)-GTD);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Evan Mobley(9-12 Rebounds), Josh Giddey(9-11 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Darius Garland (8-11 Assists), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(6=8 Assists).

The Thunder will fancy their chances because first, they are playing at home and second, the Cavs played just last night and will be exhausted. However, it is not easy to write off the Cavs which have underperformed and if Mitchell returns here, they will be a handful. The Thunder has been a strong offensive team but the Cavs' defense will make it tough for them. I see this being a close game and the Cavs may be able to turn this one around. I predict a scoreline of 106:103.