In a matchup that, mind you, originally wasn't even nationally televised, both the OKC Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers came into Wednesday's bout on impressive win streaks and were fighting to keep them alive.
Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, they would end up leaving the matchup with an end to their 15-game stretch and their sixth loss of the season, as they were downed by a final score of 129-122.
The traveling young Thunder held a lead multiple times throughout the contest and even limited the league's best offense to 25 points in the first quarter. Ultimately, the Cavaliers responded with an offensive onslaught backed by star big Jarrett Allen and surprise bench phenom, Ty Jerome.
There were good takeaways from this loss, but in every game you lose there are always some things that should be cleaned up.
Studs and duds from Thunder's hard-fought loss to Cavaliers
Stud: Isaiah Hartenstein
Isaiah Hartenstein was one of the few bright spots during this contest, but his production would not be enough to change the outcome.
He would leave the court with a near triple-double, as he registered 18 points, 11 rebounds, and a season-high 8 assists.
At many times on the night, he looked like the best player for the Thunder, acting as the main facilitator and someone the team could go to when they needed a bucket (particularly in the floater department.
Still, there is not much the big man could do without his counterpart in Chet Holmgren, as the Cavs' twin tower frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley proved too much for just one to match. Hopefully, reinforcements will be coming in the next few games.
Dud: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
There is a first time for everything, and this is the first time Shai is on this list as a dud.
Though on the surface the MVP hopeful may appear to have had a solid showing, as he led all scorers on the night with 31 points, from both the eye test and box score metrics it's evident that he fell quite short of his typical brand of impact.
For starters, he could have handled the ball a lot better, as he coughed up five turnovers while only dishing out four assists.
Next, his three-point shooting was simply abysmal, as he went just 1-for-6 from deep and tried taking shots when he had better options to pass to.
Overall, he was doing too much and Cleveland capitalized off of his mistakes.
Stud: Aaron Wiggins
Since finding himself in the middle of trade talks for a potential package involving Cameron Johnson earlier this season, Aaron Wiggins has really turned things around since the Thunder squared off against Charlotte a few weeks back.
He would play 22 minutes off the bench and register 11 points while cashing home on 5-of-7 field goals.
In games like these, "should have and could have" scenarios are always the rage, and perhaps the biggest one following OKC's loss to Cleveland is that Wiggins should have closed this matchup. He was on fire during the game and the Thunder could have used the scoring punch during the closing minutes.
Dud: Kenrich Williams
At this point, it is getting hard to justify Kenrich Williams regular usage within Mark Daigneault's rotation.
Sure, he hustles and has heart, but these attributes don't necessarily guarantee points or stop an opposing team's positions. Williams played 13 minutes against the Cavaliers and did virtually nothing while out there.
At times, it feels like his hustle is a bad thing. It is a crazy statement, but there were several instances throughout the night where he would dive for a ball, throw it out of the scrum, and find it landing in a Cleveland player's hand for a bucket.
Other times he simply tried to tip out rebounds and it allowed Cleveland to go on a fastbreak for easy points. Now, this is not to say he should stop this completely, but be conscious when making certain hustle plays!
He also has to do more when given opportunities. Two missed triples and zero rebounds during his time on the court is not going to cut it on a championship squad.