For all of the drama and narratives surrounding the NBA this season, we were reminded Wednesday night of what happens when you put two of the best teams in primetime and let them prove why audiences should be tuning in.

According to the website Sports Media Watch, Cavs-Thunder was the sixth-highest-rated NBA game shown exclusively on cable this season.

The Cavaliers got the best of the Thunder. Darius Garland zoomed past Cason Wallace and Evan Mobley flicked a floater above Isaiah Hartenstein for critical buckets down the stretch. OKC had its historic 15-game win streak snapped in a 129-122 loss while Cleveland extended its win streak to 11 in a row.

Oklahoma City and Cleveland swapped the lead back and forth 30 times during the game, and combined for 84 points in a breathless third quarter that Windhorst singled out for prais

For years, NBA fans have complained about the state of the game. The three-point shooting, flopping, poor officiating, and players who do not play defense – or do not play at all – have driven the fans away from the game.