The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have been by far the most impressive team this season. Their +14 net rating is over five points better than their closest competitor. It’s why they started the season on a 70-win pace.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, have been one of the most disappointing teams this season. They’ve taken a noticeable step back from where they were last year, as they’ve already surpassed their loss total for all of last season.

Despite how differently things have gone for both the Cavs and Thunder, they enter this game playing at a pretty similar level.

Oklahoma City has cooled off dramatically in recent weeks. They’ve lost three of their last eight and dropped their previous outing to the Miami Heat. Their offense has struggled recently, as they have the 14th-ranked offense over the past two weeks.

The Cavs are heating up. They’ve won three out of four with impressive wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and two straight good showings against the Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland’s offense is also coming into form as they’ve posted the fourth-best offensive rating over the last two weeks (120.4). Things are starting to look up.

This game should provide a good measuring stick for where the Cavs are right now, even though both will be without key starters. The Thunder will be without Jalen Williams, and the Cavs will be without Darius Garland.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-8)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Monday, Jan. 19 at 2:30 PM

TV: NBC, Peacock

Point spread: Thunder -6.5

Cavs injury report: Darius Garland – OUT (toe), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Dean Wade – PROBABLE (knee), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Chris Livingston – OUT (G League), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)

Thunder injury report: Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (right soleus), Thomas Sorber – OUT (ACL), Nikola Topic – OUT (surgical recovery), Brooks Barnhizer – DOUBTFUL (G League)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Thunder expected starting lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jaylin Williams, Chet Holmgren

Previous matchup: The Thunder defeated the Cavs by 20 a year ago.

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.