Cleveland @ Oklahoma City preview
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Last Meeting ( Oct 27, 2023 ) Oklahoma City 108, Cleveland 105
The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled during a four-game stretch without Darius Garland.
Now that Garland is back after missing time with a hamstring strain, the Cavaliers are hoping to find some more consistency.
The Cavs will begin a four-game road trip when they take on the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
"(Garland) makes the game easier for everybody," Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell said. "That's who he is. We've missed that throughout the first few games, and you know it's good seeing him getting back to it."
Without Garland, Cleveland went 1-3. With him, the Cavs are 2-1 so far this season, including Sunday's 115-104 win over Golden State.
With Garland in the lineup, the Cavaliers' offense doesn't have to fall on Mitchell's shoulders as much.
"We are a team, and the only thing that matters to us is our team," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We are not a bunch of individuals that have just gathered in the locker room. All we preach to our guys, and all that they bought into is doing things for one another and caring about one another."
Garland had a season-high 24 points and seven assists in the victory against Golden State, and he helped Cleveland hold the Warriors to 36.2 percent shooting.
"Whatever energy we expend on the defensive end is going to transfer to our offense," Bickerstaff said. "So, you know, our mindset is get as many stops as we can, you know, be physical, be scrappy and just have that grit and toughness to us."
One of the losses without Garland came on Oct. 27, a 108-105 setback at home against the Thunder. Mitchell scored 43 points in that game, but no other Cleveland player had more than 17.
Wednesday's game is the last of a season-long six-game homestand for the Thunder, who are 2-3 so far during the stretch.
Oklahoma City is coming off a 126-117 win over Atlanta on Monday that snapped a two-game losing streak.
While much of the focus when it comes to the Thunder newcomers has been on rookie big man Chet Holmgren -- and rightfully so -- rookie guard Cason Wallace has helped Oklahoma City's defense as of late.
In Monday's win, he had a season-high four steals.
"They're just letting me be free on the defensive side," Wallace said.
In the first meeting with the Cavs, Luguentz Dort had 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Dort made 9 of 21 shots from the floor and 5 of 15 from beyond the arc over the next three games but has come on strong again over the last two, going 15-for-22 from the floor and 8-for-11 on 3-pointers.
While both teams have struggled on the glass early this season, the Thunder's struggles have been more pronounced.
Oklahoma City is next-to-last in the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 23.1 percent and both teams are near the bottom in overall rebounding percentage at 47.5 percent.
"We know we struggle there," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's a point of emphasis for us. We're not blind. We can feel it. We all know that if we want to be who we can be, we have to take care of that."
--Field Level Media