Thunder unsung hero steals Cavs’ soul without Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams

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Thunder unsung hero steals Cavs’ soul without Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams

Josue Pavon, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Feb 23, 2026 ·

3 min read

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams , the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped the Cleveland Cavs ' seven-game win streak. The Thunder guards truly understood their defensive assignments against All-Star Donovan Mitchell , James Harden , and a fully healthy Cavs team. Oklahoma City jumped out to a 28-5 lead in the first quarter, a 23-point deficit that Cleveland erased in the second half.

However, the Thunder's two-point deficit was short-lived as its stifling defense continued to string together stops, including Isaiah Joe 's career-high five steals and a game-high 22 points in Sunday's 121-113 win. Joe addressed his standout performance after the Thunder's win on Sunday.

"At the end of the day, I stay true to my game, and kind of let it come to me," Joe said. "Being down bodies, it just allows for more action. Being able to be more aggressive. A teammate asks a little more of you, and everybody who steps out there is kind of answering the call right now. So, I think we all take a little more pride."

Joe's 22 points, including six threes, led seven Thunder players in double figures. Cason Wallace (20 points, 10 assists), who also finished with three steals, Chet Holmgren (17 points, 15 rebounds), who recorded a double-double, and Isaiah Hartenstein , who added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Isaiah Joe's defense shines in Thunder win vs. Cavs

While Isaiah Joe continued his hot shooting streak, scoring at least two threes in 11 of his last dozen games, he also held his own in defending the Cavs' leading scoring tandem in Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Against a healthy Cavs team, the Thunder won without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams , its leading scorer and All-Defensive forward.

Without Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso , two Thunder guards who each make their presence felt on both ends of the floor, Joe's contributions went a long way . Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault put Joe's defense against the Cavs into perspective during his postgame media availability.

"With Harden and Mitchell, they're heavy into matchup hunting, and they're a seasoned team that's well coached. If you put a matchup out there that they like, they're going to have ways to try to get to it," Daigneault said. "So, you just have to be very, very sound and disciplined in how you handle that. I thought his coverages tonight — they tried to go at him, they tried to go at anybody to get Dort and Cason off those guys.

"The coverages were so tight. The shell behind him was really good. He was a part of that, but that's him. He's lighter. He's not the biggest, strongest guy, but he executes at a high level. He's fearless. He's physical. And he plays hard. He plays all of his minutes hard. So, you can have him out in a game like that."

The Thunder has won four of its last five games without Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Mitchell.

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