Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried an unusually heavy scoring load and delivered the decisive shot as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 on Monday, November 2, ending Cleveland’s unbeaten start at home.
The two-time reigning NBA MVP scored a season-high 43 points, including a step-back 3-pointer that broke a 112-112 tie with 32.6 seconds remaining. Oklahoma City improved to 5-2, while Cleveland fell to 4-3 overall and 3-1 at Rocket Arena.
The victory was especially valuable for a Thunder team that arrived in Cleveland without several important players and after consecutive road losses by more than 20 points. Rather than producing a balanced offensive performance, Oklahoma City relied heavily on Gilgeous-Alexander and received timely support from Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Hartenstein.
According to the official NBA game record, the contest featured 23 lead changes and 10 ties. Eight of each came in the fourth quarter, when neither team led by more than a few possessions.
A Decisive Final Sequence
The game was tied at 109 when Hartenstein converted a short jump shot with 1:51 remaining. Ajay Mitchell followed with a pull-up jumper, but Cleveland answered when Sam Merrill made a 3-pointer off Donovan Mitchell’s 11th assist, tying the score at 112 with 1:01 left.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed a pull-up shot on Oklahoma City’s next possession, but the Thunder retained the ball through an offensive rebound. He capitalized on the second opportunity, creating space for a 24-foot step-back 3-pointer that gave Oklahoma City a 115-112 advantage.
Merrill missed a corner 3-pointer on Cleveland’s ensuing possession. Ajay Mitchell then made two free throws with 15.4 seconds remaining, extending the lead to five points. Donovan Mitchell missed Cleveland’s final attempt from beyond the arc.
That sequence captured the difference between the teams. Gilgeous-Alexander’s first attempt did not fall, but Oklahoma City preserved the possession and gave its leading scorer another opportunity. Cleveland, by comparison, could not convert either of its final two perimeter shots.
Gilgeous-Alexander Produces Through Volume and Free Throws
Gilgeous-Alexander made 14 of 35 field-goal attempts, including four 3-pointers, and went 11 of 12 at the free-throw line in 38 minutes. He also led Oklahoma City with eight assists.
His 35 shots were the most attempted by an NBA player during the opening two weeks of the season. The figure reflected both his aggressive approach and the limited options available to an injury-depleted Thunder rotation.
The performance was not built on exceptional field-goal efficiency. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 40 percent overall, but he compensated by reaching the free-throw line, limiting empty possessions and producing when Oklahoma City needed a late basket.
The NBA named Gilgeous-Alexander its Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season in May 2026. He also won the 2025-26 Clutch Player of the Year award after leading the league in clutch points and go-ahead field goals during clutch situations, according to the NBA’s official awards announcement. His closing shot in Cleveland offered another example of that late-game production.
Oklahoma City Responds to an Injury Crisis
The Thunder had lost starters Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace to long-term injuries after an October 25 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. Alex Caruso and Thomas Sorber were also unavailable for the Cleveland game.
Oklahoma City then suffered a 120-96 loss to Dallas and a 119-98 defeat in Houston. Those results turned a 4-0 opening into a two-game losing streak and placed greater responsibility on the remaining rotation.
Ajay Mitchell supplied the most important secondary scoring against Cleveland. He finished with 20 points, including Oklahoma City’s final four, while Hartenstein collected a game-high 14 rebounds. The Thunder also received 34 bench points and outscored Cleveland 50-30 in the paint.
Those contributions prevented the game from becoming entirely dependent on Gilgeous-Alexander’s shooting. Mitchell provided another player capable of creating a shot, while Hartenstein’s rebounding helped Oklahoma City generate the extra possession that preceded the winning 3-pointer.
Cleveland Erases a 14-Point Deficit
The Cavaliers led 30-26 after the first quarter, but Oklahoma City closed the second period with a 16-6 run and carried a 59-48 advantage into halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throws extended the margin to 69-55 early in the third quarter, the Thunder’s largest lead of the game.
Cleveland responded through perimeter shooting. The Cavaliers made nine of 17 attempts from 3-point range in the third quarter, scored 36 points and reduced the deficit to 90-84 entering the fourth.
An 18-9 run to open the final period put Cleveland back in front and set up the sequence of ties and lead changes that followed.
Rookie Meleek Thomas scored 17 points in his first NBA start, matching Donovan Mitchell for the team lead. Mitchell added 11 assists, while Evan Mobley finished with 16 points. Their production helped Cleveland rally, but no Cavaliers player took control of the scoring in the way Gilgeous-Alexander did for Oklahoma City.
Cleveland’s offense was also unusually dependent on its outside shooting during the comeback. When the final two perimeter attempts missed, the Cavaliers had no remaining route back into the game.
Rematch Offers an Immediate Test
The teams are scheduled to meet again Wednesday, November 4, in Oklahoma City, completing their two-game regular-season series.
For the Thunder, the rematch will test whether they can reproduce Monday’s result without requiring 35 shots from Gilgeous-Alexander. His workload was understandable given the injuries, but Oklahoma City will need sustainable contributions from Mitchell, Hartenstein and the rest of its shortened rotation.
Cleveland’s task is different. The Cavaliers proved they could erase a 14-point deficit and create open perimeter opportunities, but they must find a more dependable closing option when the outside shots stop falling.
Seven games are not enough to draw firm conclusions about either team’s championship prospects. Monday’s result nevertheless showed that Oklahoma City can survive a close game while severely short-handed, provided its supporting players create enough possessions for Gilgeous-Alexander to decide it.
