NBA 18/19: 3 talking points from the Thunder's win over the Cavaliers

The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their recent form by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-83 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Cavaliers led 28-21 after the first quarter, although the Thunder quickly took over and strolled to their 8th home victory of the season.

The result has pushed the Thunder's record to 13-7, and it was important to get back to winning ways after the disappointing defeat to the Denver Nuggets. Here are three talking points from the game.

#3 Cleveland Are Bad

The Cleveland Cavaliers have collapsed since LeBron James left in the summer

The Oklahoma City Thunder did well to come back from a first-quarter deficit, however, the Cavaliers fell away after an impressive first quarter. The team scored a combined total of 34 points over the second and third quarters, and once again the team had effectively lost the game before the fourth quarter had even begun.

The Cavaliers current situation doesn't look as though it will get better any time soon, as J.R. Smith is actively looking for a new team, while Kyle Korver has just been traded to the Utah Jazz. The team is likely to tank from until the season's end, and it looks to be a tough couple of years for Cleveland fans.

#2 Jerami Grant's Contribution

Jerami Grant is enjoying a purple patch of form

Jerami Grant has recently been promoted to the Thunder's starting five, and he has immediately repaid Billy Donovan's faith. The 24-year-old scored a season-high 21 points, shooting 66.7% from the field.

The only struggle that Grant endured on the night was shooting from behind the arc, although he has proven to be a significant improvement over Terrance Ferguson. Grant was locked into a long-term contract over the summer, so hopefully, the player can continue to improve as the season progresses.

#1 Westbrook's Monstrous Triple Double

It was triple-double number 107 for Westbrook

After struggling with injuries during the early stage of the NBA season, Russell Westbrook is now back to his brilliant best. He recorded his third triple-double in his last four appearances, and this was his best of the season so far. It was also the 107th of his career, a tally that moves Westbrook level with Jason Kidd for third-most in NBA history.

Westbrook also pulled down an incredible 19 rebounds in the game, in addition to recording 15 dimes. The 30-year-old is now nearly averaging a triple-double for the third consecutive season, and few would bet against him achieving this.

On the shooting side, Westbrook managed to reduce taking ugly looks from three-point range and finished shooting a respectable 2-5. Overall the point-guard was 10-17 from the field, and his total of 17 shots was one his lowest tallies of the season. This was the best version of Russell Westbrook and the one that the Thunder need going forward.