Cavaliers Vs Thunder — Thunder 121-113 in Oklahoma City on Feb 22, 2026

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 23, 2026 5:24 AM ET

Cavaliers Vs Thunder — Thunder 121-113 in Oklahoma City on Feb 22, 2026

In a Feb 22, 2026 matchup that turned into a long-range shootout, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-113, a result that mattered because it came against a Cleveland team riding a seven-game winning streak and snapped that run. The game, played in Oklahoma City, featured hot three-point shooting from the Thunder and a late Cavs rally that fell short.

Cavaliers Vs Thunder: game flow and final

Oklahoma City (44-14) built a massive early lead and never gave up the advantage, winning 121-113 in Oklahoma City on Feb 22, 2026. Isaiah Joe paced the Thunder with 22 points, and Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists. The Cavaliers (36-22) received 20 points each from Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Sam Merrill but lost for the first time in eight games.

Thunder’s shooting and interior work

The Thunder exploded from distance, making 21 of 41 3-point attempts (51. 2%), including six 3s by Joe, and converted 17 Cleveland turnovers into 31 points. Chet Holmgren finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, while Oklahoma City made 14 of 22 (63. 6%) from beyond the arc before halftime.

Cavs rally and key sequences

Cleveland fell behind early — Oklahoma City jumped to a 28-5 lead on the strength of five first-quarter 3-pointers, three by Joe — but kept chipping away. Cleveland cut the halftime deficit to 64-55 on a Donovan Mitchell jumper at the buzzer. Sam Merrill scored eight quick points in the third quarter, and Jared Allen gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 69-68 on a short jumper. Back-to-back threes by Jared McCain and Joe pushed the Thunder back in front at 82-75, and after Cleveland answered with an 11-3 run and a Jaylon Tyson 3 to tie it 86-all, Oklahoma City separated late.

Late surge sealed by Dort, Williams, Wallace and Hartenstein

Oklahoma City regained control in the fourth with consecutive 3s from Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams and Cason Wallace to build a 102-95 lead. Isaiah Hartenstein scored 10 points in the quarter and hit back-to-back jumpers that made it 106-98 — a margin the Thunder would not surrender.

Player grades and individual notes

Sam Merrill finished with 20 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, keeping the Cavs alive in stretches. Donovan Mitchell’s stat line read 20 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 turnovers in the game; the matchup has historically been a tough one for Mitchell and he went 0-6 from downtown. James Harden finished with 20 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 turnovers, with his 6'5" size noted as a factor against Oklahoma City’s ball pressure.

Jared Allen had 11 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers; he was scoreless in the first quarter but finished with a game-high 6 offensive rebounds and also airballed a free throw. Evan Mobley logged 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 25 minutes; this was only his second game since January 24th and he was on a minutes restriction while facing a strong defensive frontcourt. Jaylon Tyson is going through an adjustment period, with a smaller role and a more scattered impact.

Injuries and absences

The Thunder were short-handed but still won: they played without injured starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring), and were also missing key contributors Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain) and Alex Caruso (sprained left ankle).