Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving appeared determined to derail the Oklahoma City Thunder's quest for a win Thursday night when he assumed the form of a supernova for stages of the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
But with the Thunder's (31-23) impressive balance alongside star Russell Westbrook, the Cavaliers (36-16) couldn't generate enough stops as their four-game winning streak ended with a 118-109 loss.
Westbrook finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, good for his 26th triple-double of the campaign. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that puts him 15 behind Oscar Robertson for the single-season record:
Victor Oladipo flanked Westbrook effectively to the tune of 23 points and seven boards, and he capped off his night with a nifty—albeit awkward—360 in transition:
Steven Adams added 20 points and 13 rebounds on a night when the Thunder controlled things with a 51-35 advantage in total boards, including a 17-5 edge on the offensive glass.
Then there were the unsung heroes like Alex Abrines, who set the tone for the Thunder toward the end of the opening frame with a poster-worthy slam over Tristan Thompson:
Cameron Payne was also huge off the bench. Although he's disappointed with an inconsistent stroke at times, Payne came alive with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three.
The Cavaliers boasted five double-figure scorers, but they didn't have the same pep in their step.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Cavaliers appeared plagued by heavy legs. That much seemed clear with LeBron James, who uncharacteristically came up short at the rim on several occasions.
The Washington Post's Tim Bontemps noted it would help if the Cavs scaled back James' minutes:
Appearing tired at times, James finished with 18 points (8-of-19 shooting), seven dimes and five rebounds.
Irving, though, looked as spry as ever with 28 points (11-of-18 shooting, 4-of-5 from three) and four assists.
And with James feeding his focused floor general in the clutch, The Oklahoman's Erik Horne noted the Thunder faced a tall task:
The two even linked up for a gorgeous transition three that was initiated by a behind-the-back dime from LeBron:
However, that was as good as things would get for the Cavs.
The Thunder went on to drop 32 points in the fourth quarter, and they ran away from the Eastern Conference's premier power by following Westbrook's lead.
And with one of last year's NBA finalists down, the Thunder will attempt to make it two in a row when Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors come to town Saturday night.
The Cavs will also get a chance to catch their breath Friday, but they'll be back in action Saturday for a home tilt against the Denver Nuggets.
Postgame Reaction
According to Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, LeBron was not in a talkative mood after the loss:
However, the Bay Area News Group's Anthony Slater noted he did have one message for reporters:
As for the victors, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan heaped praise on Andre Roberson for playing exceptional defense on James.
"Every possession, he gives his heart and soul to his defense," Donovan said, per ESPN.com's Royce Young.
"I don't know if people understand or realize how hard his job is," Donovan added of Roberson, according to the Norman Transcript's Fred Katz.
As for Payne, OKC's backup point guard acknowledged Thursday's performance was "outrageously better" than any he had put on tape earlier in the season, per Katz.