The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered the best game and the best win of the NBA season thus far after outlasting the Oklahoma City Thunder 129-122 at home.
With the top two leagues in the league going head-to-head, the NBA flexed it onto national television, since it was originally scheduled just to be a local broadcast. With 30 lead changes and no leads exceeding double digits, basketball fans across the world enjoyed one of the most exciting and well-balanced matches possible. There were no massive runs or comebacks.
Cleveland's leading offense was a close match for OKC's leading defense. The Cavaliers used depth, star power and versatility to withstand the Thunder's equally versatile defensive abilities. Until less than halfway through the fourth quarter, there was no clear winner or a team with an obvious advantage.
If there were awards for the most competitive and exciting game of the year, this would have been a clear winner; yet, it was supposed to be available only to local fanbases. At the start of the year, the Cavs had just eight nationally televised games on ESPN or TNT, ranking 17th in the league on the schedule.
After a dramatic, unforgettable win in a historic match, the NBA needs to take notice of the Cavaliers as a prime time franchise.
The NBA needs to catch up to the Cavaliers' popularity
Cleveland is led by Donovan Mitchell, a dynamic three-level scoring guard amid an All-NBA season. At his side is three more All-Star talents, including one of the best young stars Evan Mobley. Jarrett Allen has been established as an elite veteran big man, leading the Cavs to their victory over OKC with another All-Star night. A 25-year-old Darius Garland remains a top point guard in the NBA after coming back from a season lost by injury woes.
After two consecutive playoff berths and a run to the Eastern Conference semifinals this past postseason, the Association responded by marking the Cavs as a middle-of-the-road team in terms of national attention. The Cavs' performance against OKC needs to be a wake up call to the NBA. Cleveland not only overcame the Thunder. They are undefeated against western teams, sweeping their two-game series against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets. They beat the Boston Celtics in their second meeting of the season.
The Cavaliers are on pace to match, or beat, the Golden State Warriors' 73-9 regular season record from the 2015-16 season.
If the Cavs' playoff struggles are the reasons for their lacking national presence, the NBA is simply inconsistent. Somehow, the NBA still sees the Cavs as just average entertainment. The New Orleans Pelicans, a franchise with constant injuries and underwhelming seasons, enjoys one more national game than Cleveland. The Philadelphia 76ers, a team who is currently notorious for falling short in the playoffs, has 21 national games.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are here, and they aren't going anywhere. All of the core four are on long-term contracts, and much of their bench pieces are also on multi-year contracts. They have the back-to-back Eastern Conference Coach of the Month with Kenny Atkinson - the frontrunner for the Coach of the Year award.
If the NBA wants to cover the best basketball in the world, they need to catch up to what the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing. Four players deserving of an All-Star spot. Two, arguably three, who should be All-NBA. A young two-way star perennially in the race for Defensive Player of the Year. What does the NBA gain by ignoring this rising powerhouse? Nothing. What do they lose by ignoring them? Instant classics.