Today's Action: Wednesday, November 4 — Cavs and Thunder Run It Back + Wemby's Spurs Host Flagg

Wednesday belongs to the NBA. There are 14 games on the board, and the best two are rematches and grudges: Cleveland gets a second shot at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 48 hours after he buried them, and Victor Wembanyama's red-hot Spurs host Cooper Flagg on national TV. The Champions League fills the afternoon, and MACtion takes over Ford Field for the evening.

Today's Top Matchups

NBA | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 8:00 PM ET
Round two, now in OKC. On Monday night in Cleveland, SGA scored a season-high 43, including the go-ahead three with 32.6 seconds left, to give the Thunder a 117-112 win. He did it with Ajay Mitchell, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams in the starting lineup. Chet Holmgren (knee), Jalen Williams (ankle) and Cason Wallace (shoulder) are all still out, and Holmgren may be out for two months. Cleveland got 17 apiece from Donovan Mitchell and rookie Meleek Thomas but never figured out how to get the ball out of Shai's hands late in the game.

The Edge: Most people are sleeping on Cleveland here. SGA took 35 shots to win Monday's game, and that's not a sustainable formula. The Cavs now have a full game of film on how OKC's short rotation plays down the stretch. The Thunder will have the home crowd, but the Cavs have the better roster on the floor, and the second game of a mini-series usually belongs to the team that has more to adjust.

NBA | Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs — 9:30 PM ET (ESPN)
The Spurs are rolling. They've won five straight, most recently a 119-97 win over Utah on Monday when seven players scored in double figures and Wembanyama barely needed to do anything (12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks). During the streak he's averaging 28.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks, and that includes a 43-point game against Minnesota. Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are making this a team built to win now, not later. Dallas' season depends on Flagg's health and how many bodies it has up front. Flagg already beat OKC this season with a near triple-double, so he's capable of taking over a big game.

The Edge: San Antonio is better positioned. The Spurs outscored Utah 52-36 in the paint and 26-9 on fast breaks Monday, and Dallas' thin frontcourt is the worst possible matchup for a team that plays that way. If Flagg plays and keeps attacking the rim, the game stays close for a while. Over 48 minutes, Wemby's length usually wins out.

NBA | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Houston Rockets — 8:30 PM ET
Houston is 7-1 after holding Boston to 93 points on Monday, ending the Celtics' five-game win streak. Alperen Şengün had 26 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds and looked like Houston's best player even with Kevin Durant on the floor. Minnesota is 5-3 and playing without Anthony Edwards, who is out after right knee surgery. LaMelo Ball has helped make up for it, scoring 34 on Monday in a 112-100 win over Milwaukee, and Ayo Dosunmu and Rudy Gobert have handled the rest.

The Edge: Houston has the edge. Without Edwards, the Wolves' offense goes through Ball, and that's a difficult assignment against the Rockets' size and length. Houston's defense just held a Boston team that had won five straight to 93 points. Gobert vs. Şengün in the post is the key matchup, and Şengün is playing at an All-NBA level right now.

UCL | RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City — 3:00 PM ET (Paramount+)
Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase. City (6 points from 3 games) have Erling Haaland tied for the competition's scoring lead with four goals, and he's always scored a lot against Leipzig. Antoine Semenyo is out with a knee injury for about eight weeks, but Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki and Nico O'Reilly are all pushing for starts after coming off the bench on the weekend. Leipzig has 3 points and a -5 goal difference, and it will be without Marc Guiu and Assan Ouédraogo, with defender Maxime Estève a major doubt.

The Edge: City is the better setup. City has won four of the six Champions League meetings, and Leipzig's back line is already short-handed. Haaland against a defense that might be missing Estève is a problem. The Red Bull Arena crowd will make it loud, but City has more quality in the final third.

NCAAF | Eastern Michigan vs. Central Michigan — 7:30 PM ET (ESPN2)
Motor City MACtion. The Michigan MAC Trophy is up for grabs at Ford Field, and the stakes are higher than the records suggest. Central Michigan is 3-5 (1-3 MAC), and its own athletic department calls this a must-win. Eastern Michigan is 4-5 but 3-2 in the conference, which puts the Eagles in the race in a crowded MAC. A neutral-site, mid-week game in an NFL stadium is about as close to a bowl atmosphere as either team will get in November.

The Edge: Eastern Michigan has the edge. The Eagles have been the more consistent team in conference play, and they have more to play for right now. Central Michigan is fighting for its season, which makes the Chippewas dangerous in the first half, but EMU has won the games it needed to win in league play.

The FadeThePublic Gear Call

There's no single headline on Wednesday, so you're watching all of it: Champions League at lunch, MACtion at dinner, and five hours of NBA basketball to finish the night. A day like this calls for a hat that works across the whole schedule. Our Best Sellers collection is where to start. Pick the one that fits your sport and wear it from the first game to the last.

Fourteen games, one Ford Field showdown and a trip to Leipzig. Clear your Wednesday night.