Thunder 'imposed their will' on Cavs during rout, says Atkinson

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson says the Oklahoma City Thunder "imposed their will in every sense" with their win on Thursday.

The Thunder got revenge for their defeat earlier this month, and handed the Cavaliers their worst defeat of the season in the process, as they won 134-114.

Oklahoma City, who sit top of the Western Conference, have now matched Cleveland's 34-6 record this season after overturning an early lead.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander had 40 points and eight assists, while Lu Dort added a season-high 22 and Jalen Williams got 19 to help the Thunder to a fourth consecutive win.

The Cavaliers struggled to maintain their bright start and committed 21 turnovers compared to their opponents' six, and Atkinson acknowledged the Cavs just were not good enough.

"They imposed their will in every sense," Atkinson said. "We knew it was coming.

"We knew their force was coming. That's their identity. They imposed their identity. It was an avalanche, and we never responded.

"It felt like seven pit bulls out there. Not five. They were scratching, reaching - in a good sense.

"Their speed and athleticism, they kind of toppled us over. It was that simple. That's their calling card. They've done it to a lot of teams. They dominated in every aspect."

No shortage of teamwork in OKC pic.twitter.com/ZhPtIaiobn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 17, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the first quarter before scoring 11 more in three minutes to help the Thunder to a 26-point lead at the break, the largest deficit of the season for Cleveland.

He also became the first player in the franchise's history to score 40 points in fewer than 30 minutes, going 17-of-26 from the floor.

"I was just playing basketball, the game I love," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I work hard. Try to give the game my all and see what it gives back to me.

"The obvious is they're bigger than us, and our whole goal was to just be so good playing small that they'd try to play small and can't have both of them out there on the court at the same time. And I think we did a really good job of that tonight.

"Being grimy when the bigs brought the ball down, getting the loose balls, helping each other out, scrambling. We obviously got on a run, and they had to make some changes, and then once the game goes small it's pretty much our game, our style."