Rarely do things live up to the hype.
It’s even rarer when the hype is exceeded.
That was the case on Wednesday night in Cleveland, when the Cavaliers took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-122.
It was a historic matchup that topped its own billing.
Heading into the game, the Cavaliers were seeking their 11th win in a row, while the Thunder were riding a franchise best 15-game win streak.
The Cavs tamed the Thunder in a back-and-forth affair that was so exciting, it left the NBA world in awe.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has been covering the league for over two decades, was adamant about it being some of the best basketball he has ever seen.
“This was an advertisement of NBA regular season basketball at its best,” Windhorst said.
“That 12 minutes of basketball (in the third quarter)… was as high as a level as I’ve seen in the regular season in my 20+ years covering the NBA.
“If you don’t love this game if you watched this, you don’t love basketball.”
The Cavaliers are now 32-4 and on pace to match the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors‘ record of 73 regular-season wins.
The Thunder are right behind them at 30-6.
The NBA has had a ratings problem this season, and while both Cleveland and Oklahoma City are small market teams, getting two of the top teams delivering on ESPN’s primetime stage is a win for the league.
The Association has already started promoting the rematch between the two first place squads, who will meet again next Thursday in OKC.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson talked after the game about the energy that was building up to the massive tilt.
“It’s so awesome,” Atkinson said.
“It’s like you’re in the NCAA tournament. It’s like, ‘Man, we got here.’ There’s that type of buzz.”
Anytime the league can create noteworthy buzz, is a win for the league.
During the thick of the College Football Playoff and with the NFL postseason about to get underway, a midweek win for the NBA will go a long way.
While most of the country probably wouldn’t prefer a Cleveland-Oklahoma City Finals series, there is a good chance that comes to fruition.
If the series is anything like the first matchup, then it will obliterate the hype.
Luckily for Windhorst and everyone else, they won’t have to wait months for these two elite squads to play one another.
See you next Thursday for the rematch.