The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder have cemented themselves as the runaway top seeds in their respective conferences as the halfway point of the NBA season looms near. Both teams have been on a tear since the season began and neither of them are showing any signs of slowing down. They currently possess the two longest winning streaks in the NBA, both of which have hit double-digit games. Ahead of their highly anticipated showdown on Wednesday night, let’s take a look at which team has had the better season thus far, as well as who has the edge in their first meeting of the season.
Cleveland Starts The Season 15-0, Becomes The First Team To Hit 30 Wins
The Cavaliers began the campaign with the 2nd-longest winning streak ever to start a season, behind only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors who ended up having the best regular season in NBA history. Even after that streak ended, Cleveland never showed any indications of vulnerability. They have had the best record in the NBA from the jump and continue to hold it in spite of Oklahoma City’s recent surge.
The Cavaliers have not lost a game since December 8th which will be exactly one month before their matchup with the Thunder on Wednesday. They have also only lost once at home all season and that took place all the way back on November 27th in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Cleveland fell victim to an elite performance from Trae Young who had 20 points and 22 assists in 37 minutes.
Oklahoma City Is In The Midst Of Their Longest Winning Streak In Franchise History
Sunday’s 105-92 win over the Boston Celtics broke a 29-year-old franchise record set when the team was the Seattle SuperSonics. The team’s longest winning streak since moving to Oklahoma City had previously been just 12 games, set back in 2012. And while the Thunder did lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup Final in the middle of their current winning streak, that game does not count towards the regular season standings.
After finishing atop the Western Conference at the end of the 2023-24 regular season, the Thunder were expected to be one of the favorites to win the NBA title coming into the year. It is certainly safe to say that they have at least met their preseason expectations up to this point. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has firmly cemented himself as one of the best players in the NBA. Up to this point, only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are averaging more points per game than Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31.3. He also leads the NBA in field goals made with 386.
We can’t, however, give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all of the credit for Oklahoma City’s success. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein are all having exceptional seasons as well. Overall, the Thunder have one of the best constructed rosters in the entire league, giving them a big edge over the rest of the Western Conference when the playoffs roll around.
Which Team Has Had The Better Season?
Both Cleveland and Oklahoma City have been close to mirror images of one another when it comes to dominance and consistency. It could be argued that the Cavaliers’ season has been more impressive since they were not expected to be this good, whereas the Thunder were already among the favorites to win the West after their strong 2023-24 season.
Despite Cleveland having the best record in the league, they still rank 3rd in FanDuel’s NBA Championship odds at +1000. The Celtics remain the favorites to repeat at +200, while the Thunder are sitting right behind them at +280.
Who Has The Edge In Wednesday’s Matchup?
Oddsmakers currently have Cleveland as a slight 2-point favorite over Oklahoma City. This should not come as a surprise since the Cavs are playing at home, where they hold a 18-1 record this season. The Thunder will look to extend their record-breaking winning streak to 16 games, which would be the longest streak the league has seen since the Milwaukee Bucks won 16 games in a row from January 23, 2023 to March 4, 2023.
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