Oklahoma City @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 28, 2018 ) Cleveland 83, Oklahoma City 100

The Oklahoma City Thunder are winners of four straight and eight of their last nine games and kicked off a four-game road trip with a 109-103 win at San Antonio on Thursday. The Thunder will try to earn their fourth consecutive road win when they continue the trip by visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Oklahoma City is generating offense from defense during the hot stretch and is holding opponents to an average of 100.8 points over the last four contests. "It was our intensity defensively," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after Thursday's triumph. "We were able to run, get into the open floor and the court is a little bit more spaced that way and our attackers are able to attack. The guys that come off of pick and rolls a lot when the court is spaced, it's easier to come off. You're more open for the shots that you like to take." The Cavaliers squandered a nine-point lead with just over 5 1/2 minutes left at home against Charlotte on Thursday and dropped a 109-106 decision for their third loss in four games. "Really disappointing, that one," Cleveland coach John Beilein told reporters. "I don't think that I would say I think we had it, but we played well enough at times. I told the team when we look back at it there is going to be segments all throughout the game where we didn't play very good defense."

TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Oklahoma, FS Ohio

ABOUT THE THUNDER (19-15): Gilgeous-Alexander collected 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal at San Antonio and continues to emerge as a building block for Oklahoma City. The second-year guard is averaging 26 points over the last eight games to push his team-leading season average to 19.9. The Thunder are also getting solid production from backup point guard Dennis Schroder, who had a string of six straight games scoring 20 or more points come to an end when he delivered 19 points on Thursday.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (10-24): Cleveland got a team-high 21 points from second-year guard Collin Sexton on Thursday while rookie point guard Darius Garland collected 14 points and eight assists. "We're just growing really," Garland told reporters. "Me and Collin, we're trying our best to finish out games and see what happens. The chips didn't fall toward us tonight. Have to come back. Another game Saturday." Sexton leads the team in scoring at an average of 18.1 points while Garland averages 11.4 points and 3.1 assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Thunder totaled four turnovers on Thursday, tied for the second-fewest in team history.

2. Cavaliers PF Kevin Love is 3-of-15 from 3-point range over the last two games.

3. Oklahoma City swept the two-game series last season, including a 95-86 victory at Cleveland.

PREDICTION: Thunder 105, Cavaliers 96