For the second game in a row on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves in a hole early. Down by 32 early in the third quarter, OKC simply did not have it going against the Nets. Still, they managed to figure out a way to claw themselves back into the game and make it somewhat interesting in the final period.
With a little over two minutes remaining, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a shot to cut the deficit to 7 points, and he did it again with just over a minute remaining. Chet Holmgren hit a free throw with 27.1 seconds to make it a 6-point game, but that was as close as it would get as Brooklyn held on for the 124-115 win over the Thunder.
For just the third time this season, OKC has lost two games in a row. They have yet to drop three in a row, and it’s doubtful to happen tonight as the Thunder continues their road trip in Washington, D.C. against the Wizards. The Wizards are on a 4-game losing streak and are just 6-29 on the season. Their third-worst +/- of -10.9 is due to their 17 losses by double digits, 13 of which have been by at least 16 points.
Tonight should serve as a palate cleanser for the Thunder, but if they’re not careful, they could let the Wizards stick around. While Washington has arguably the worst defense in the NBA, they do have guys that can go score at will, like Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole. OKC should rely on their defense tonight, not their shooting abilities, to lock in and get back on the winning track.
Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Washington Wizards Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Josh Giddey
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Jalen Williams
- C: Chet Holmgren
Washington Wizards
- PG: Tyus Jones
- SG: Jordan Poole
- SF: Deni Avdija
- PF: Kyle Kuzma
- C: Daniel Gafford
Injury Report
Thunder
- Ousmane Dieng is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Keyontae Johnson is OUT (G League — two-way).
Wizards
- Patrick Baldwin Jr. is OUT (G League — on assignment).
- Jules Bernard is OUT (G League — two-way).
- Landry Shamet is QUESTIONABLE (left hamstring soreness).
- Delon Wright is QUESTIONABLE (left quadriceps contusion).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 16-12 against the Wizards (10-4 at home, 6-8 on the road).
- The Thunder has won the season series with the Wizards 5 times, lost it 3 times, and tied 7 times.
- The Thunder won the season series 2-0 against the Wizards last season (1-0 at home, 1-0 on the road).