The short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113, snapping its seven-game win streak on Sunday night.
Isaiah Joe dropped 22 points, Cason Wallance with 20 points and 10 assists, while Chet Holgren added 17 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks for the Thunder, which made 21 of 41 from beyond the arc, including six by Joe, and converted 17 turnovers into 31 points.
Oklahoma City played without injured starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring). and key contributors, Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain) and Alex Caruso (sprained left ankle).
On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Sam Merrill each had 20 points for the Cavaliers (36-22), which lost for the first time in eight games.
The Thunder turned to the long ball early and built a 28-5 lead on five three pointers, including a shot from Joe, making 14 of 22 before halftime.
Cleveland had managed to cut the edge to 64-55 on a jumper by Mitchell to beat the buzzer.
The Cavaliers got eight quick points from Merril in the third, and took a 69-69 lead for the first time in the game by a jumper by Jarrett Allen.
Jared McCain and Joe gave the Thunder an 82-75 advantage through a back-to-back three-pointers, but Cleveland scored 11 of the next 14 points to tie the score at 86.
However, the Thunder made consecutive 3s from Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams and Wallace to build a 102-95 lead in the fourth. Back-to-back jumpers by Isaiah Hartenstein, who had 10 points in the quarter, gave the Thunder a 106-98 lead.
Both teams will play on Tuesday: The Cavaliers host the Knicks, while the Thunder visit Toronto.
