For the past three seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the most dominant players in the league. He even fell a few votes short of taking home the MVP honors last year. Sure enough, the Thunder have excelled with him leading the charge and they hold the top spot in the West standings this season. But they might have finally met their match tonight as the Cavaliers snapped their fifteen-game winning streak in a thrilling encounter. Moreover, Kenny Atkinson’s pregame warning could lead to trouble for Shai and his squad going forward.

While most opposing teams usually focus primarily on Shai, Atkinson also had a scouting report ready for Jalen Williams. Addressing Jalen’s impact on OKC’s success, the head coach said, “You better be careful being too Shai-centric, because if you are, he’s going to drop 35 on you.”

Because of the attention SGA demands when he is on the floor, his teammates often get easy opportunities to score. That’s one of the reasons why Jalen has been so dominant, averaging 20.6 points and over five assists. Moreover, that’s why the Thunder had lost only five games prior to tonight. But Atkinson made it clear that the Cavs were prepared for the challenge, “The players are on high alert and ready to go. It’s more about keeping an even keel, the way we have been all year.”

Sure enough, Atkinson’s squad did exactly that and beat OKC by seven points. Although Shai got his 31 points, the Cavs defense limited Williams to only 25 and no other player on the Thunder roster even crossed the twenty-point mark. Maybe, this is a strategy the other 28 teams in the league could use to stop SGA and Co.’s wrath. Obviously, not every team is as talented as the Cavs to accomplish that feat.

Kenny Atkinson reflects on “pure basketball” win against Thunder

Well, tonight’s game was truly one for the history books as both teams hold the top seed in their respective conference. Moreover, just like OKC, the Cavs were also on a ten-game winning streak heading into the game. So, it was truly a championship caliber matchup, and maybe even a preview of this year’s NBA Finals. Donovan Mitchell even addressed it before the game, “It’s going to be the ultimate test for us… Championships aren’t won today, but I think there’s a lot we can learn about ourselves.”

And after defeating SGA and extending the Cavs’ winning streak to eleven games, Atkinson was proud of the quality of basketball that was played tonight, “It was a playoff atmosphere. The guys competed. It was pure basketball. Pure competition. It was a good game for the fans. It was a good game for the league.” Surely, Thunder will be looking for redemption when they face the Cavs again, which will be on January 16. And this time, it will happen in OKC’s arena. So, mark your calendars because it is going to be a treat for all hoop fans.