Stephen A. Smith ranks Cavaliers ahead of Celtics as title contenders after victory over OKC

On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a 129-122 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, extending their win streak to 11 while cementing themselves as the best team in the NBA.

Although they have split wins and losses with Boston this season, Stephen A. Smith believes that after their win over the Thunder, the Cavaliers have a real chance to go all the way this season.

While speaking with longtime NBA Insider Brian Windhorst on Thursday's episode of First Take, Smith weighed in on the NBA Finals picture as we approach the halfway mark of the season. The way he sees things, Wednesday's win over the Thunder, who are atop the Western Conference, paints a clear picture.

"They're number one in offensive efficiency, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage shooting. Their net rating, second only to OKC. ... Obviously we don't want to summarily dismiss the reigning defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. We know what they can do.

"I can't sleep on the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... I got to look at the Cleveland Cavaliers and say, yo, peeps, they got a chance to win the chip, to win it all."

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"We don't win this game last year" - Donovan Mitchell reacts to the Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, citing team's growth

As Stephen A. Smith said on Thursday's edition of First Take, the Cavs' win over the OKC Thunder on Wednesday came despite an off night for Donovan Mitchell. While Mitchell is shooting 45.0% this season, he shot just 18.8% on Wednesday, going 3-16 in 35 minutes.

Despite that, the team got a big win, thanks to contributions from Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who logged a combined 46 points on the night while crashing the glass.

Mitchell spoke with reporters, discussing the win while citing the team's growth compared to last season. Much like he told teammates in the locker room after the game, he doesn't believe the 2023-24 Cleveland Cavaliers could pull out Wednesday's win.

"It just speaks to our growth. I told everybody after the game, as a unit, we don't win this game last year. ... Honestly, man, that's a big win. I think we're all excited about it, and obviously this is one game and no championships are won tonight, but it's something to be proud of."

With the second-place Boston Celtics sitting 5.5 games behind the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs are sitting comfortably in first as we approach the halfway mark of the season.

With another clash against the OKC Thunder set for next Thursday, the team will look to keep the momentum rolling as they march towards what they hope will be a deep playoff run.