The Oklahoma City Thunder "dominated" the Cleveland Cavaliers "in every phase" in their loss, 136-104.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had an opportunity against the Oklahoma City Thunder to remind the entire NBA why they should be considered one of the best teams in the league.
Instead, the Wine and Gold lost, 136-104, and were overwhelmed on their own court.
Kenny Atkinson didn’t hold back about his team’s performance
“Total domination,” admitted Atkinson. “I don't know if there's any particular phase or, you could argue they shot the heck out of it, we didn't. But, defense [and] offense, I just think they show why they're champions. They dominated us in every phase, I felt like: physicality, shot-making, turnover battle.”
Atkinson’s assessment may feel a little harsh, but it’s all true.
The Thunder’s biggest lead was 32 points; they held the lead for over 46 minutes, during which the Cavaliers barely held it for one minute. Oklahoma City also shot 55 percent from the floor and nearly 49 percent from behind the arc, while Cleveland struggled to knock down 37 percent of its shots.
Jan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'qwan Tomlin (35) and forward De'andre Hunter (12) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesEvery team will have bad shooting nights; it’s inevitable over an 82-game season. But that’s not what upset Atkinson about Cleveland’s performance. Cleveland’s head coach didn’t think his team read the game correctly.
“We got to the rim 17, 19 times in the first half, and we couldn't finish. So you say it was threes, we got to the paint. We got to the rim. I'm kind of disappointed with how we read the rim,” explained Atkinson.
“Like, they got Chet Holmgren in there. He's probably the number one rim protector in the league, and we didn't kick it out; we have to understand. It was physicality and force, but I also think it was our reads in the game. Like, we didn't read the game right, and the decision-making was troubling.”
If there are any potentially positive takeaways from this blowout loss, it’s that the Cavaliers won the possession game, 108 to 105, and the rebound battle, 54 to 38.
But you have to play perfectly to beat a team as good as the Thunder, and the Cavs simply didn't.
Atkinson pinpointed real areas where the Cavaliers must improve. Hopefully, the team can make the necessary adjustments for the next time they face the Thunder, which will be on February 22.
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