On Wednesday, the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers (31-14), hosts the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5), in a game that some are billing as an NBA Finals preview.
The Thunder enter Wednesday’s game (7 ET, ESPN) riding a franchise record 15-game winning streak, while the Cavs are nearly as hot, boasting a 10-game streak of their own.
Check out what is being said about this epic midseason matchup:
HEADLINES:
- How the Cavs became one of the most dominant teams we’ve seen – Dan Devine, Yahoo
- What to watch this week in NBA: Celtics-Nuggets, Thunder-Cavaliers plus Giannis vs. Wemby – Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic
- This Week In 🏀 can only marvel at the NBA’s early 30-game winners … while never really diverting focus from what has already been an active NBA Trade Season – Marc Stein, Substack
- Top candidates to be first-time All-Stars – Dan Devine, Yahoo
- NBA history tells us we’re on a Thunder-Cavs collision course to the Finals – Quinn Everts, Fansided
- NBA Showdown This Week: Epic Matchups Featuring Celtics, Nuggets, Thunder, Cavaliers, and Giannis vs. Wemby – Jones Knox, 777 Score
- Thunder extend winning streak to 15 with dominant victory over Celtics as showdown with Cavaliers looms – Sam Quinn, CBSS
- Cavaliers Bringing History, Facing History In Matchup Vs. Thunder – Logan Potosky, On SI
- It’s One of the Greatest NBA Matchups of All Time—and Absolutely No One Saw It Coming – Robert O’Connell, WSJ
- Why OKC Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers matchup is the best game of the year – Brody Bitters, Sporting News
- ‘It should have been a while ago’: Cavs relishing rare opportunity in NBA spotlight – Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com
- Numbers Show Historic Matchup With Thunder-Cavs On Wednesday Night – Jeremie Poplin, News on 6
- Cavaliers hoping to stake their ground in showdown with West-leading Thunder – Jeff Schudel, The Morning Journal
- Five Stats that Prove the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Matchup is the Game of the Year – WKYC News
- ‘You just have to prove yourself when it matters,” Cavs not shying away from national spotlight – Leah Doherty, Cleveland 19
PODCASTS:
- Jimmy Butler’s Future In Miami, Thunder Make Statement VS. Boston, Wemby Shows Out – The Hoop Collective
- A Final Preview in OKC? The Jimmy Butler Situation Hits a Code Red, Wemby Madness Continues Apace – Greatest of All Talk
- Jimmy Butler to the Bucks? Cavs-Thunder preview, NBA Monday Madness recap with Mo Dakhil – The Kevin O’Connor Show
- How The Thunder Climbed to the Top of the West – Open Floor
- The Warriors’ Uncertain Future, Dunking on Wemby, the Streaking Thunder and Razzamatazz Magic – The Mismatch
- Jimmy Butler Trades + Cavs and Thunder Dominance – The Athletic NBA Daily
- Cleveland Cavaliers Whip Around: Cavs host the Thunder in a potential game of the year – LockedOn Cavs
SOCIAL CHATTER:
The Cavaliers and Thunder are the first two teams in 53 YEARS to each have 30+ wins through 35 games in the same season.
Now, they go head-to-head. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/JRM7MJUElX
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) January 8, 2025
"OKC is the best team in the NBA" 😳 pic.twitter.com/KHLuGJP6C3
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 8, 2025
NBA Finals matchup preview? 👀 🍿 pic.twitter.com/qBpfuWZ7uG
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 8, 2025
Why Cavaliers vs. Thunder is historic matchup, and how a win can finally get Cleveland the respect it deserves
(By @sportsreiter)https://t.co/usX1lzSDiC— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) January 8, 2025
#Cavs and #Thunder is the first meeting between a team on a 15-game win streak & another on a 10-game win streak. It’s the first ever interconference game between teams with a win percentage of .850 or higher this late into a season.
Get ur popcorn readyhttps://t.co/e9QD3s4iEt
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) January 7, 2025
"There was a lot of questions on whether two big men could work in the modern NBA. … I think we proved everybody wrong." 😤
Jarrett Allen with @malika_andrews on the Cavs' record 31-4 start to their season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MLFPQBWYaP
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 7, 2025
🔥 The Cavs are undefeated against the West.
🔥 The Thunder are undefeated against the East.Doesn't get better than this❗️
📺 Wednesday, 1/8 | 7 PM ET on ESPN pic.twitter.com/6uB8GLSxTC
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 7, 2025
The Thunder and Cavs are a combined 28-0 this season against teams with records below .500.
— Inside Hoops | NBA Basketball (@InsideHoops) January 7, 2025
Cavs have not lost to a Western Conference opponent.
Thunder have not lost to an Eastern Conference opponent.Sign. Me. Up. https://t.co/jnDlEPSwZy
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) January 5, 2025
22 teams before this season have won 30 of their first 35 games.
19 of them made the conference finals.
13 won the title.
OKC and Cleveland have won 30 of their first 35 games.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) January 6, 2025
The Cavs are currently on a 10-game winning streak 🔥
All 10 victories during this streak have been by double digits:
+10 vs. Hornets
+12 vs. Mavericks
+12 vs. Lakers
+18 vs. Warriors
+14 vs. Nuggets
+11 vs. Jazz
+27 vs. Sixers
+23 vs. Bucks
+29 vs. Nets
+10 vs. Wizards pic.twitter.com/N49puxzbGt— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 6, 2025
Better unit: Cavs offense or Thunder defense? https://t.co/yvurJR26LH pic.twitter.com/9lmJzFQrfQ
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) January 7, 2025
