November 4, 2026 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another outstanding performance Wednesday night, scoring 42 points and dishing out eight assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 124–116 at Paycom Center.
The Thunder established control early, building a 17-point advantage after the opening quarter. Cleveland gradually found its offense and erupted for 42 points in the fourth, but Oklahoma City had done enough to withstand the late push.
The victory improved the Thunder to 6–2, while Cleveland dropped to 4–4. It also marked Oklahoma City’s second win over the Cavaliers in three days following Monday’s 117–112 result.
First Quarter: Thunder Set the Tone
Oklahoma City wasted little time imposing itself on the contest.
Gilgeous-Alexander opened aggressively, knocking down a step-back three and attacking Cleveland’s defense off the dribble. The Thunder also received valuable contributions from their supporting cast, including Kenrich Williams, Ajay Mitchell and Bennett Stirtz.
Cleveland remained within four points at 13–9 after Tyrese Proctor connected from beyond the arc, but Oklahoma City quickly took command.
Ajay Mitchell scored on a reverse layup, Aday Mara finished a dunk, and Gilgeous-Alexander continued creating opportunities for his teammates.
A three-pointer from Gilgeous-Alexander pushed Oklahoma City’s advantage to 25–9 with just under four minutes remaining.
Stirtz subsequently connected on a step-back three, while the Thunder maintained their defensive pressure.
Oklahoma City finished the opening quarter ahead 37–20, putting Cleveland in a difficult position before the second period even began.
Second Quarter: Cleveland Stabilizes, but Oklahoma City Maintains Control
After struggling offensively in the opening period, Cleveland found greater consistency during the second quarter.
The Cavaliers scored 24 points, but Oklahoma City continued answering with timely baskets and maintained its comfortable advantage.
The Thunder added 23 points of their own, preventing Cleveland from making meaningful progress toward eliminating the early deficit.
Despite Cleveland’s improved offensive execution, Oklahoma City entered halftime leading 60–44.
The Cavaliers had avoided falling further behind, but a 16-point halftime deficit still left them with substantial work to do.
Third Quarter: Cavaliers Begin Chipping Away
Cleveland continued its gradual recovery after halftime, producing its best offensive quarter to that point.
The Cavaliers scored 30 points in the third, finding more success attacking Oklahoma City’s defense and generating perimeter opportunities.
However, the Thunder continued to match Cleveland’s offensive production.
Oklahoma City scored 28 points in the period, surrendering just two points of its halftime advantage.
Gilgeous-Alexander remained the centerpiece of the Thunder offense, providing the scoring and playmaking necessary to keep Cleveland from seriously threatening their lead.
Oklahoma City entered the fourth quarter ahead 88–74.
Cleveland had improved offensively, but the Thunder remained firmly in control with 12 minutes remaining.
Fourth Quarter: Mitchell Ignites Cleveland’s Late Push
The Cavaliers saved their most explosive offensive stretch for the final period.
Donovan Mitchell caught fire from beyond the arc, scoring 14 fourth-quarter points and connecting on four three-pointers as Cleveland attempted to erase Oklahoma City’s double-digit advantage.
The Cavaliers poured in 42 points during the quarter, their highest-scoring period of the evening.
However, Oklahoma City’s offense refused to disappear.
The Thunder responded with 36 fourth-quarter points, ensuring Cleveland’s offensive surge never translated into a completed comeback.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring proved especially important as Oklahoma City protected its advantage down the stretch.
Cleveland won the final quarter 42–36, but the early deficit ultimately proved too much to overcome.
Final: Oklahoma City Thunder 124, Cleveland Cavaliers 116.
Gilgeous-Alexander Leads the Way
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 42 points, four rebounds and eight assists, delivering the defining individual performance of the contest.
His combination of perimeter scoring, shot creation and playmaking helped Oklahoma City build its early advantage and maintain control when Cleveland began mounting its comeback.
For the Cavaliers, James Harden recorded 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Mitchell’s late shooting provided Cleveland with a chance to make the final minutes competitive.
Oklahoma City also held advantages in rebounding (59–52), assists (25–19) and turnovers (11–14).
The Thunder attempted 35 free throws compared with Cleveland’s 19, another important difference in an eight-point contest.
EST Analysis: The First Quarter Made the Difference
Cleveland deserves credit for refusing to surrender after a difficult opening period.
Scoring 42 points in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City is impressive, and Mitchell’s late perimeter shooting demonstrated the Cavaliers’ offensive potential.
However, the game was largely decided by the opening-quarter disparity.
Oklahoma City outscored Cleveland 37–20 in the first 12 minutes. The Cavaliers actually outscored the Thunder by nine points over the remaining three quarters, but the early damage was too significant to overcome.
For Cleveland, the lesson is straightforward: against quality opponents, slow starts create problems that even explosive fourth quarters cannot always solve.
For Oklahoma City, the result reinforces the value of having a dependable offensive leader in Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder were not perfect defensively, particularly in the fourth quarter, but their ability to establish an early advantage and continue scoring under pressure secured another important victory.
Oklahoma City completes the two-game sweep, while Cleveland heads home searching for greater consistency.
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