Cleveland Cavaliers vs OKC Thunder: How to watch the NBA’s ‘Game of the Year’ live

The NBA’s two top teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (31-4), are scheduled to clash on Wednesday, 8 January, in a basketball match-up being touted as the ‘Game of the year’—and for good reason.

OKC touchdown in Cleveland 15 games undefeated. The only other team in the league this year to have matched that feat is the Cavaliers, who blistered off to a 15-0 start to the season. They are now on a 10-game winning streak.

Not since 2019-20 have two teams managed winning streaks of 15 games, and their meeting now, with their respective records, marks just the third time in NBA history that two teams on winning streaks of at least 10 games go head-to-head.

But there’s more than past wins on the line.

While Cleveland is currently the best of the East and Thunder the best of the West, the two teams are dominating key categories that are sure to have intriguing implications.

Cleveland leads the NBA in field-goal percentage (.504), in 3-point percentage (.404) and is second in points per game (122.5), meanwhile, Oklahoma City tops the league for field-goal percentage defence (.426), points allowed per game (103.0) and in 3-point percentage defence (.327).

In other words, the league’s top-ranked offence will meet its match in the team with the most stifling defence.

And then there’s the star power.

Canadian Shai GIlgeous-Alexander is well in NBA MVP conversations, not just for how he is leading Thunder’s surge, but also for his own individual efforts. The 26-year-old is currently averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, and is ranked second in effective field goal percentage (57.5).

Cleveland has its own superstar in five-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

The 28-year-old is currently enjoying something of a renaissance under new coach Kenny Atkinson, whose primary goal this season has been creating a supporting cast strong enough to allow Mitchell to shine. It has meant his stat averages - - may not look as impressive as SGA’s, but Cleveland’s results speak to the unit Atkinson has worked to empower.

It’s a game that has all the hallmarks to be something special, and certainly worth clearing the schedule for.

• NBA: All-time list of longest winning streaks

Cavaliers vs Thunder: Start time, where to watch live

• Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse - Cleveland
• Time: 7 pm ET Wednesday 8 January
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: Fubo, NBA League Pass