The Cleveland Cavaliers had Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder exactly where they wanted them Monday night.

Then the reigning MVP took over.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points, including the decisive 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining, as Oklahoma City escaped Rocket Arena with a 117-112 victory.

The defeat dropped Cleveland to 4-3 and ended the Cavaliers’ unbeaten start at home.

For Cleveland, the frustrating part wasn’t simply losing to a talented Oklahoma City team. It was having an opportunity to win late and failing to close.

The fourth quarter featured eight ties and eight lead changes, with neither team able to create sustained separation.

Cleveland opened the final period with an 18-9 run, turning what had been a difficult night into a genuine opportunity for a comeback victory.

But Gilgeous-Alexander proved too difficult to contain.

The Thunder superstar connected on 14 of 35 shots, knocked down four 3-pointers and made 11 of 12 free throws during 38 minutes.

His final 3-pointer put Oklahoma City ahead for good.

Cleveland couldn’t answer after Sam Merrill missed a corner 3-pointer, and Ajay Mitchell followed with two free throws to put the game out of reach.

Donovan Mitchell finished with 17 points and 11 assists for the Cavaliers, distributing the basketball effectively but struggling to provide his usual scoring punch.

Rookie Meleek Thomas matched Mitchell with 17 points in his first NBA start, providing one of Cleveland’s most encouraging individual performances.

Evan Mobley contributed 16 points, but the Cavaliers couldn’t consistently finish possessions against Oklahoma City’s physical interior defense.

Cleveland actually made 18 3-pointers, including nine during a third quarter in which it attempted to erase a double-digit deficit.

The problem was what happened before that rally.

Oklahoma City used a 16-6 run late in the second quarter to take a 59-48 halftime lead.

The Thunder eventually extended their advantage to 14 points early in the third before Cleveland mounted its comeback.

Despite missing several important players, Oklahoma City found enough support around Gilgeous-Alexander.

Ajay Mitchell finished with 20 points, while Isaiah Hartenstein grabbed 14 rebounds.

The Cavaliers must now find a way to improve their late-game execution against elite opponents.

They won’t have to wait long for another opportunity.

Cleveland travels to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, November 4, for an immediate rematch.

After Monday’s missed opportunity, the Cavaliers will need more efficient scoring from Donovan Mitchell and better defensive answers for Gilgeous-Alexander.

Otherwise, this two-game series could become another reminder of how narrow the margin is against the NBA’s best players.