The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the NBA's hottest teams, but the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their win streak on Sunday.
It’s been nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and good vibes for the Cleveland Cavaliers since acquiring James Harden, Dennis Schröder, and Keon Ellis ahead of the trade deadline.
The Wine and Gold entered Sunday riding a seven-game winning streak and were one of the hottest teams in the NBA, until Oklahoma City hit Cleveland with a reality check, beating the Cavaliers 121-113.
Cleveland has been playing some really good basketball over the last week or so, especially with limited practice time, but the Thunder’s elite defense made it clear the Cavaliers still have things to figure out on the offensive end of the floor.
Oklahoma City put the pressure on the Cavaliers right out of the gate, and Cleveland had no answer for it. The Cavs coughed the ball up 10 times in the first quarter alone. Donovan Mitchell turned the ball over twice, and James Harden gave it up twice in that span.
Because of Cleveland’s early miscues, the Thunder were able to score 17 points off turnovers in the first 12 minutes, and saw their lead climb up to 23 points early in the second quarter.
In the end, the Thunder scored 31 total points off 17 Cleveland turnovers.
Feb 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) moves the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren (7) defends during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesOKC’s quick and physical start was a brutal reminder for the Cavaliers that they can’t take their foot off the gas for even a minute against championship-caliber teams, or it could end up being the difference between a win and a loss, which was on Sunday.
To Cleveland’s credit, it overcame a 20+ point deficit, and the Cavaliers even came back to take the lead in the fourth. If the Wine and Gold had protected the ball in the first quarter, the rest of the game could’ve looked much different.
Even with this loss The Cavaliers still look like a better team than they were before the trade deadline. They’ve shown plenty of signs of being possibly the best roster in the Eastern Conference.
There’s no reason to overreact to one loss against a team that, even without Shai Gilgeous Alexander, is loaded with really good basketball players.
The Cavaliers were always going to face some adversity, as they did in Oklahoma City. Now, it’s about learning from those mistakes to be better prepared for the playoffs.
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