CLEVELAND, Ohio — Championships aren’t won in January. But they can be lost — and the habits built now determine that outcome.
Monday afternoon was further proof.
The Cavs’ non-competitive 136-104 setback to the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder wasn’t about who was missing — although point guard Darius Garland (right great toe sprain) probably would’ve helped steady an erratic offense and Sam Merrill (sprained right hand) might’ve loosened Oklahoma City’s stifling defense.
It wasn’t about an unrelenting schedule stretch — the Cavs had two days off for the first time all month leading into the showdown.
It wasn’t about any number of excuses (explanations?) used during the first half of this inconsistent regular season, with this flawed preseason conference favorite spending months mired in mediocrity before a recent upswing finally vaulted Cleveland out of play-in position — albeit temporarily.
The Cavs are 24-20, seventh in the East.
It wasn’t about talent — even though the Oklahoma City advantage was obvious, perhaps a bigger disparity than the Cavs would care to concede, especially considering they have the league’s most expensive roster and are the only team in the punitive second apron.
It wasn’t about an unfavorable whistle — a common complaint against the Thunder. The Cavs attempted 15 more free throws and committed three fewer fouls.
It was about habits. Standards. Maturity. Identity. Will.
“Total domination,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said afterward. “Defense, offense, I just think they showed why they’re champions. They dominated us — in every phase.”
The Thunder look like champions. They act like champions. They carry themselves like champions. Play like champions. Compete like champions. They have forged that mentality — and identity — over the last couple years.
On Monday, they did it without All-Star swingman Jalen Williams — the team’s third leading scorer who is set to miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury — and starting center Isaiah Hartenstein (calf strain). Then they did it without defensive pest Alex Caruso and fill-in starter Jaylin Williams — both of whom exited early with injuries. In the second half, before the game was decided and benches were emptied, the Thunder had basically eight guys.
And yet, Oklahoma City looked better, deeper, tougher, bigger, faster and hungrier. It was more dynamic, more skilled, more athletic, more physical, more focused, more relentless and more connected.
The 36-win Thunder, currently with the best point differential in NBA history, led for 46 minutes, by a game-high 32 points.
In a lopsided matchup that featured just three lead changes and one tie, Cleveland’s biggest advantage was two points. It was in front for 77 seconds — total. It was a double-digit Thunder advantage for all but 39 seconds of the second half, when the Cavs closed to within nine on three separate occasions.
That’s what a champion looks like.
Killer instinct. No waning effort. No slippage. No excuses. No mercy.
Were the Cavs paying attention?
“I think watching them defensively, they make the little rotations, they do the little things consistently,” said Donovan Mitchell, who was held to just 19 points on 5 of 18 shooting. “I think that’s where we’ve been at our best — when we do little things consistently. They’re elite at it. They’re defending champions for a reason. I think taking that and kind of stealing something from them, watching their habits one-through-15.”
There’s that word again. Habits.
It wasn’t uttered by Mitchell — the unequivocal team leader — on accident. It’s something Mitchell has preached since training camp. More than halfway through the regular season, Cleveland’s habits aren’t on par with the league’s elite — a reality that helps explain the maddening inconsistency.
“I’m not going to let this game take away from the past week,” Mitchell said, pointing to back-to-back road victories over Philadelphia and another triumph against Minnesota. “This one’s upsetting. We can learn from it. Not going to let this deflate what we had in Philly. It’s not early, but I know what this group is capable of. We know what we’re capable of. This loss isn’t going to set us back. We’ve got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and go forward.”
The Cavs do it sometimes. The Thunder do it most of the time.
Coming into the season, no team was predicted to finish with more wins than Oklahoma City. The Cavs were tabbed as second. The two teams are currently 12 victories apart.
Cleveland boasts about being a defense-first team. So does OKC.
The Cavs rank 15th — middle of the pack — in defensive efficiency. Oklahoma City is No. 1, for the second consecutive season, leading Detroit by more than three points per 100 possessions and nearly 10 points per 100 possessions better than the Cavs.
“Their defense is so good,” Jarrett Allen admitted. “I felt like it took us out of what we’re so good at, getting down the court, sharing the ball, and just making sure everything’s smooth. Credit to them, they disrupted us. That’s because of their great defense.”
The suffocating Thunder forced 21 turnovers, turning those into 23 points. They held the Cavs to 37.4% from the field and 22.9% from 3-point range, finishing with a defensive rating of 97.2 — the 12th time this season keeping an opposing offense below the century threshold.
“They capitalize on every single mistake that you make,” Allen said. “We made plenty of mistakes today.”
That’s the Thunder M.O. Their constant pressure stresses teams, forcing them into uncharacteristic screw-ups. There are multiple efforts. Danger lurks with every dribble. Each pass is contested. The margin for error is razor thin. Nothing comes easy.
“It was physicality and force, but I also think it was our reads,” Atkinson said. “We didn’t read the game right. The decision-making was troubling.”
That was only one end of the floor. The other end, supposedly Cleveland’s backbone, was worse.
Answerless and overwhelmed, the Cavs finished with a defensive rating of 127.1 — their fifth-worst mark this season — while allowing OKC to shoot 56% from the field and 49% from deep. In all, the Thunder made 23 triples, tied for their most in any game this season and just the fifth time hitting at least 20.
Garland, Merrill and Max Strus (foot surgery) all could have helped.
But at some point, it’s no longer about who a team doesn’t have. It’s about who they are.
The Thunder haven’t been a picture of health. Williams and Hartenstein have missed 20 games apiece. Caruso has been sidelined for 13. Lu Dort has been out for 11. Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Joe and SGA have all missed time.
Nothing has slowed the NBA-leading Thunder. They just keep overcoming. They have an unwavering standard to meet.
There are levels to greatness. There’s a difference between being a theoretical contender (Cleveland) and a practical one (Oklahoma City). A difference between being a champion and a wannabe.
That difference was profusely evident Monday.