Back in early January, the biggest and most anticipated matchup of the NBA season took place. With a massive amount of views and a playoff-level atmosphere, the two best teams in the league did not disappoint.
Although the Oklahoma City Thunder are missing key pieces, with the second game of this saga taking place in Loud City, anything can happen. Especially when revenge is the motivation.
Time and Location
The OKC Thunder will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Paycom Center today, Jan. 16, at 7:30 PM EST/6:30 PM CST as well as on TNT.
Lineups
With Hartenstein out, here is what OKC’s starting five may look like:
| Position: | Name: | Number: |
| Point Guard | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 2 |
| Shooting Guard | Cason Wallace | 22 |
| Small Forward | Lu Dort | 5 |
| Power Forward | Jalen Williams | 8 |
| Center | Jaylin Williams | 6 |
As for the Cavs, here is what their potential unit may appear as:
| Postion: | Name: | Number: |
| Point Guard | Darius Garland | 10 |
| Shooting Guard | Donovan Mitchell | 45 |
| Small Forward | Dean Wade | 32 |
| Power Forward | Evan Mobley | 4 |
| Center | Jarrett Allen | 31 |
Injuries
For the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a left soleus strain in their 118-102 victory against the Sixers Wednesday night. Although he will be re-evaluated in a week, this is a massive blow to the team.
Chet Holmgren (hip), Ajay Mitchell (toe) and Nikola Topic (ACL) are also out for Oklahoma City.
MORE: How the OKC Thunder can beat the Cleveland Cavaliers despite losing Isaiah Hartenstein.
For Cleveland, no one is listed as out for tonight’s matchup. Ty Jerome is the only player listed as questionable with an illness.
What to know
The last time these two teams faced off in Cleveland, it was a back-and-forth battle. With 30 total lead changes and eight ties throughout the game, the Thunder and the Cavs were neck and neck the whole game until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
What truly killed OKC was the twin towers in Mobley and Allen. With 43 combined points and 13 total rebounds, Oklahoma City had no answers for their height, which costed them numerous second-chance opportunities.
Now, With Hartenstein and Holmgren out, the Thunder are back to their small ball style of play. With Jaylin Williams being the tallest player in the lineup at 6’9″, he is going to have his work cutout for him tonight. Luckily, OKC has experience in small ball play and knows what it takes to come away with a victory.
And as long as they have the eventual league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star to be in Jalen Williams, the OKC Thunder always have a fighting chance against any opponent.
Back in action in OKC ?
?️ Doors open at 5:00PM
?️ https://t.co/FVOM8TZW0G
? @NBAonTNT
? @sportsanimal pic.twitter.com/85Nd5lrnLQ— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 16, 2025
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