Cavaliers end Thunder's 15-game win streak in matchup of NBA top teams


At a glance

  • Jarrett Allen scored 25 points, Evan Mobley added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended Oklahoma City's 15-game winning streak by beating the Thunder, 129-122, Wednesday night, Jan. 8, in a marquee meeting between the NBA's top two teams.


CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen scored 25 points, Evan Mobley added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended Oklahoma City's 15-game winning streak by beating the Thunder, 129-122, Wednesday night, Jan. 8, in a marquee meeting between the NBA's top two teams.

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Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) reaches for a rebound with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

The Cavs extended their winning streak to 11, improved the league's best record to 32-4 — 11-0 against the West — and moved to 19-1 at home. They did it on an off night for leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who had just 11 points on 3 of 16 shooting.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points and Jalen Williams had 25 for the Thunder in their first loss since Dec. 1.

While it's only January and there's a lot of basketball ahead, the game's intensity had the all vibes of a Finals matchup in June. There were 30 lead changes and neither team led by more than nine.

The matchup was only the third in history between teams riding double-digit winning streaks. The last time it happened was on Jan. 26, 1995, when Seattle and Utah entered their game each on 10-game winning streaks.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the team's undisputed star, but Oklahoma City has some nice pieces. Center Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Cleveland showed its balance, depth and that it can get by when Mitchell isn't on. Mobley and Allen combined for 22 rebounds and 13 assists. Darius Garland had 18 points, seven assists and hit a floater to put OKC away.

Meanwhile in New York, Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 13 rebounds, OG Anunoby scored 27 points, and the Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors, 112-98.

Josh Hart added 21 points and 11 rebounds while Jalen Brunson had 13 points for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game losing streak that followed nine consecutive victories.

Towns shot 9 for 14 from the field, including 3 for 3 on 3-pointers, in 34 minutes after missing Monday’s loss against Orlando due to patellar tendinopathy in his right knee.

Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points against his former team and Scottie Barnes had 18 for the Raptors, who have lost two straight and 14 of 15.

The Knicks shot 55% from the field and got 40 combined points from Towns, Anunoby and Hart to head into halftime with a 55-51 lead.

In New Orleans, Deni Avdija scored 26 points, Shaedon Sharpe added 21 points and the Portland Trail Blazers led wire to wire in a 119-100 victory over the struggling New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans played without power forward Zion Williamson, who was held out as a precaution after coming back from a left hamstring strain a night earlier. Brandon Ingram (left ankle) missed his 14th straight game.

Malik Beasley scored 23 points, Cade Cunningham had 13 points, five assists and five rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons won their fifth straight game, 113-98, over the Brooklyn Nets.

Detroit’s bench outscored Brooklyn’s 50-20, led by reserves Simone Fontecchio with 17 points and Marcus Sasser, who added 15 points. Detroit has won eight of its last nine games to climb above .500 at 19-18.

Earlier in Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey scored the go-ahead basket with 23.7 seconds left and finished with 29 points to lead the 76ers to a 109-103 win over the Washington Wizards.

Guerschon Yabusele scored 21 points and blocked a potential tying layup with 14 seconds left to preserve the win for the Sixers.

In Indianapolis, Pascal Siakam scored 26 points, Thomas Bryant added a season-high 22 and two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton had 16 points and 13 assists in the Indiana Pacers’ 129-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Siakam made 11 of 17 shots from the field to help Indiana win its fourth straight, all by 10 or more points. Bryant had eight rebounds as the Pacers continued climbing the Eastern Conference standing with their 10 win in 13 games.