Cavaliers Vs Thunder: Thunder 121-113 in Oklahoma City
In a Sunday matchup on Feb. 22, 2026, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113 in Oklahoma City in a game framed as cavaliers vs thunder. Isaiah Joe scored 22 points and Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists as the short-handed Thunder prevailed.
Cavaliers Vs Thunder: Game flow
Oklahoma City turned to the long ball early and built a 28-5 lead on the strength of five 3-pointers, including three by Joe. The Thunder made 14 of 22 (63. 6%) from beyond the arc before halftime and finished the game 21 of 41 from long range (51. 2%), with Joe accounting for six of those threes. The early barrage helped Oklahoma City convert 17 Cleveland turnovers into 31 points.
By halftime Cleveland had cut the deficit to 64-55 on a buzzer-beating jumper by Donovan Mitchell. In the third quarter Sam Merrill scored eight quick points and Cleveland took a 69-68 lead — its first of the game — on a short jumper by Jared Allen. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Jared McCain and Joe pushed the Thunder back in front at 82-75, but Cleveland answered with 11 of the next 14 points and a 3-pointer by Jaylon Tyson tied the score 86-all.
In the fourth quarter Oklahoma City hit consecutive 3s from Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace to build a 102-95 lead. Isaiah Hartenstein hit back-to-back jumpers and, with 10 points in the quarter, pushed the Thunder to a 106-98 lead they never relinquished.
Key contributors and stats
Isaiah Joe finished with 22 points and six 3-pointers. Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists. Chet Holmgren had 17 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for Oklahoma City. Cleveland’s top scorers were Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Sam Merrill, who each finished with 20 points as the Cavaliers fell 121-113.
The Thunder’s final line showed 21-for-41 shooting from 3-point range (51. 2%). Cleveland made 13 of 39 3-pointers (33. 3%). Oklahoma City’s record was listed as 44-14 in one account; another listing showed the Thunder at 43-14 and atop the Western Conference.
Injuries and availability
The Thunder were short-handed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out with an abdominal strain and Jalen Williams was out with a strained right hamstring; another listing noted Williams with a hamstring issue. Key contributors Ajay Mitchell was listed with an abdominal strain and Alex Caruso with a sprained left ankle.
Player grades and performance notes
Donovan Mitchell’s stat line for the game was 20 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 turnovers; the game narrative noted he went 0-for-6 from downtown and that the matchup has been historically tough for him. James Harden finished with 20 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 turnovers; Harden is listed at 6'5", and the five turnovers were mentioned as costing him a half-grade in evaluations.
Jared Allen posted 11 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers; he was scoreless in the first quarter, recorded a game-high 6 offensive rebounds and was singled out for airballing a free throw. Evan Mobley logged 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 25 minutes; it was his second game since January 24, and he was on a minutes restriction. Observers noted only 2 rebounds and that he resorted to three-point attempts in the fourth quarter. Jaylon Tyson had 9 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals and was described as going through an adjustment period with a smaller role.
Betting lines and projection model
Pre-game market listings showed Cleveland as a 4. 5-point favorite with an over/under of 226. 5 for the matchup. It was noted that this was only the second time Oklahoma City had been an underdog this season and that the Thunder had failed to cover the first time. Tipoff from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City was scheduled for 1 p. m. ET.
A projection model that simulates games 10, 000 times was cited as having simulated this matchup 10, 000 times; the model’s aggregate leaned to the Over on the point total and indicated one side of the spread hit more than 50% of simulated outcomes. The model’s longer-term track record was described as having returned well over $10, 000 in betting profit for $100 players on top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons, and as exiting the All-Star break on a 38-17 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to the prior season.
Sunday’s result ended Cleveland’s seven-game winning streak — it was the Cavaliers’ first loss in eight games — and left the final score 121-113 in favor of the Thunder.
