Sawt Falasteen - Thunder strike from long range to halt Cavs' seven-game win streak

Isaiah Joe scored 22 points and Cason Wallace added 20 points and 10 assists for the short-handed Thunder, who improved their Western Conference-leading record to 44-14 despite the absence of injured starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams as well as Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso.

"It's a lot of fun just getting the ball rolling," said Wallace, who had just one turnover and excelled in a tough assignment of guarding James Harden.

"Early game, so we tried to get our legs into it right from the jump. I feel like we came out and we had a little bit of momentum early in the game," added Wallace after a contest in which the Thunder scored the first nine points and led by as many as 23 in the first quarter.

The teams traded the lead in the third, but Oklahoma City took the lead into the fourth and didn't relinquish it.

"We had great energy, threw the first punch in the game, which was important against a team that has played as well as they have lately and has as much firepower as they do," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.

"To grab the game the way we did early was key."

Seven Thunder players scored in double figures, with center Chet Holmgren contributing a 17-point, 15-rebound double-double.

Harden and Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points apiece for Cleveland. Harden, acquired by the Cavs on February 4 from the Los Angeles Clippers, suffered his first defeat after six straight wins with his new team.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST