Wizards 6-30 vs Thunder 31-6
When: Sunday, January 12th, at 6 p.m.
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
TV: Monumental Sports Network,
Radio: The Team 980 / WFED 1500 AM, WWLS 98.1FM OKC
Injury:
Wizards: Marvin Bagley III (Out, Right Knee; Sprain), Saddiq Bey (Out; Left Knee ACL), Malcolm Brogdon ( Out, Right Foot; Plantar Fascia Contusion), Tristan Vukcevic ( Out, Right Ankle; Sprain)
Thunder: Alex Caruso (Out, Left Hip Strain), Chet Holmgren (Out, Right Iliac Wing; Fracture), Ajay Mitchell (Out, Right Great Toe; Surgery), Nikola Topic ( Out, Left Knee; Surgery)
Keep An Eye on:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: need I say anything more? In my opinion, the leading candidate for MVP is having a DOMINANT season. SGA is averaging 31.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1.2 blocks and only 2.7 turnovers per game on 52.7/ 35.8/ 89.3 splits. Did I mention his defensive rating is a career best 103? He's getting it done at a high level on BOTH ends. The Thunder goes as he goes.
Wizards Defensive Pressure: is a must in this contest and it's something that has been very inconsistent throughout the season. The Thunder are currently seventh in the NBA in pace (99.7) and are first in turnovers per game (12.0), leaving no room for error for Washington to not get back on defense and to have lapses defensively, OKC will make them pay every time and the game will get out of hand quickly. Communicating, being on a string defensively while being smart and physical will go a long way towards Washington making this a winnable contest tonight.
Take Care of The Ball: simple right? Not so simple against the Thunder....for ANY NBA team this season. OKC comes in to tonight's contest first in the league in steals, averaging 11.6 thefts per game. Washington turns it over 16.4 times per game, which ranks 27th in the league. Smart, efficient, ball movement from Washington will neutralize OKC's ability to turn them over and limit their offensive possessions, which helps Washington's chances greatly.
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