Cleveland Cavalier at Oklahoma City Thunder Game Preview

The Cavs will be in OKC to play the Thunder as the two young teams are going head-to-head. Neither team has much in the realm of veterans, making Kevin Love the grandpa on the court in the game. This promises to be a game that features all of the stars of tomorrow, who are the youth of today.

Cleveland enters off a win over the Spurs, where Darius Garland absolutely erupted. He had never eclipsed the 30-point mark in a game, and yet he dropped in to score 37 big ones, lighting San Antonio up from the time the jump ball was done. He looked tremendous and probably wishes he could play the Spurs every night, averaging 33 points per game in the two meetings.

The Thunder, meanwhile, have been kind of up and down, but the fight continues on for them. They have not quit on the year, even though they have nothing to play for. They basically own every first-round pick for the next seven years and could well build their own, real-life version of the Monstars through the draft. The future of the Thunder is just so bright. Kudos to the front office.

Odds: The young Thunder are two-point favorites to beat the Cavs.

Cavs Seek Second Straight Win

There has been one common theme with the Cavs through the first 50 games they have played this year. And that thing is that they do everything in streaks and rarely go win-loss, win-loss at any point. Coming off a five-game skid, they were able to beat the Spurs, meaning that another win is more likely than a loss for them.

OKC is not desperate like that San Antonio team was, and it’s clear that a loss is more beneficial than a win for Cleveland’s foes. They are choosing to sit Al Horford for the rest of the year, showing that youth and improving the younger players matter more than picking up a few extra wins to close out 2020-21.

If Garland and Sexton can bring their A-game, there is no reason the Cavs should lose.

OKC Seeking Home Win

Coming off a loss to the Hornets less than 24 hours ago, the Thunder will look to have a short memory and bounce back. Of all the guys missing games, the one you wish was healthy would be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who continues to sit as he heals up. Lu Dort being out with a concussion will also make things a little harder on D.

Another player the Thunder have really missed has been Darius Bazley, who was putting up regular double-doubles and knocking down threes from all over the place before the All-Star break. He took a huge leap in playing a larger role for the club.

A guy that has been a bit of a letdown has been Moses Brown, whose game has slipped a bit since he was rewarded with a multi-year contract. Tony Bradley has come on strong after playing well in Philly before being shipped off. There are so many options for the Thunder, though the lineup is very short-handed at the moment.