OKC Thunder vs. Cavaliers Feb. 5th replay: 3 keys in the match

Fox replay series features the Feb. 5th OKC Thunder – Cavaliers match. Tune in at 6:00 p.m. for these three winning keys.

The next installment of the Fox Sports Oklahoma replay series features the second meeting between the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers. The replay will air tonight at 6:00 p.m.

The February 5th match between the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers marked the longest lay-off for the home team aside from the All-Star break.

With four days of rest, it was expected this match might showcase some rust which is precisely what happened. It wasn’t a matter of the Thunder playing poorly, rather they allowed the Cavaliers to play above their typical standard.

This resulted in a tightly contested match that — shocker— came down to clutch time for the Thunder to finish off the Cavs and register the victory. As the team prepares for Orlando this clutch time prowess could be the greatest x-factor for the OKC Thunder in the Disney bubble.

For now, we’ll have to get our basketball fix from the replay matches. With that, here are three notable keys to the victory.

Three keys to OKC Thunder win vs. Cavaliers

Schroder dominates:

With each of these replay games, Thunder Nation is getting a reminder of why Dennis Schroder should be the top selection for the Sixth Man of the Year Award.

This match was yet another example as the German scored 30 points marking his eighth straight game to score 20 points or more.

In addition, he filled up the stat sheet with five rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block while leading his squad with a plus 13 differential.

The highlight from his performance came in the clutch. Leading by a single point (101-100) and barely a minute remaining, Schroder scored the next six points and grabbed a critical steal off Collin Sexton. In less than a minute Schroder took over and won the match.

Gallo ignores trade rumors:

It can’t be easy to play knowing your name is being tossed around as a trade asset. Yet, that’s precisely what Danilo Gallinari had to deal with in this match. The next day marked the trade deadline so Gallo had to put the trade rumors on the back burner and focus on winning the game.

In the end, it was a typical all-around effort from the Italian who produced 15 points on 5 of 11 shooting including two 3-pointers. He added five rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Guard support:

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his ascent putting up another double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. This was yet another example of the growth in the Canadian’s game as he also filled up the stat sheet with three assists, three steals, and two blocks.

Fellow Canadian, Luguentz Dort played his part leading the starting rotation in differential with a plus 4 in his eighth consecutive start.

Despite the dominance of the guards throughout this contest, it was Chris Paul who registered a benchmark by appearing in his 1000th NBA game. On the night he provided his typical leadership. CP3 delivered 12 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and a steal.

After the match, Schroder said it was Paul who encouraged him to take over late. This being a perfect example of Paul’s leadership that has become a major part of the narrative of this scrappy Thunder club.

For those interested in the stats and individual numbers check out our post-game three takeaways that followed the February 5th victory. For those who prefer the full stats, check out the ESPN box score to get your fix.