Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 42 points as Thunder beat Cavaliers 124-116

Thunder Survive Late Scare to Beat Cavaliers 124-116, Sweep Season Series

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 42 points, dished out eight assists, and sank 15 of 19 free throws, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a furious late rally to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-116 on Wednesday night at home, ESPN reported. The win gave Oklahoma City a second victory over Cleveland in three nights and pushed the Thunder to 6-2 on the young season.

Donovan Mitchell nearly stole the game away. With the Thunder nursing a 115-102 lead and 1:47 left, Mitchell hit three consecutive 3-pointers to slice the deficit to 117-111 with 46.7 seconds remaining. But Oklahoma City weathered the storm, and Gilgeous-Alexander — who went 11 of 26 from the field and 5 of 11 from long range — finished the night as the difference-maker in a game that once looked like a blowout.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1st Highlights | Nov 4, 2026 NBA Highlights

The rematch carried extra weight because the Thunder had already beaten the Cavaliers 117-112 in Cleveland on Monday, when Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds left. This time, the roles reversed geographically, and the Thunder still found a way.

A Game That Swung Before It Ever Really Began

Oklahoma City led by as many as 25 points midway through the second quarter, and the rout seemed on. Then Cleveland started clawing back. The Cavaliers closed the half on a 19-10 run to pull within 60-44, and they scored the first nine points of the third quarter — seven of them by James Harden — to make it 60-53. The Thunder answered when it mattered: rookie Bennett Stirtz hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 87-74, and Stirtz finished with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Ajay Mitchell added 23 points, including a layup that stretched the advantage to 96-77.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder on his back tonight and delivered 🌩️ This marks SGA’s seventh straight 30-point game against the Cavaliers, tying Tracy McGrady (2003-06) for the longest such streak against Cleveland in NBA History, per @ESPNInsights. https://t.co/depTXzMvIC pic.twitter.com/QyUPHgZ5Sa

— https://x.com/SleeperThunder/status/2117456956784787793

Cleveland kept applying pressure, but the Thunder’s depth showed. Oklahoma City is 3-2 since losing three starters to long-term injuries, a record that would have looked far shakier a month ago. On Wednesday, the shorthanded Thunder got 23 from Mitchell and 16 from a rookie, and still had enough from their MVP frontcourt presence to close it out.

For the Cavaliers, Harden scored 19 points and Evan Mobley added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but the comeback fell short. Cleveland drops to 4-4 on the season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has 42 points as Thunder beat Cavaliers 124-116

What It Means for the Standings

The Thunder sit at 6-2, winners of two straight against the same opponent, and they did it without the full roster. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 4-4 and will look to reset on Friday night when they host Philadelphia. Oklahoma City travels to Memphis on Friday for its next game.

There is a quiet storyline building in Oklahoma City: a team that lost three starters to long-term injuries is winning anyway, and its best player is putting up numbers — 42 on Wednesday, 43 on Monday — that suggest the supporting cast is filling the gaps. Whether that holds over an 82-game season is the open question, but for one November night in Oklahoma City, the shorthanded Thunder proved they could absorb a 13-point late swing and still walk away winners.