Winners and Losers from the OKC Thunder’s Big Win Over Wizards

Assessing the individual winners and losers from Thunder-Wizards.

Nov 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Aday Mara (15) celebrates with his team after scoring against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The OKC Thunder took on the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, hunting for a third-straight win in playing its third game in four nights. Oklahoma City would ultimately get just that, downing the Wizards by nearly 40 points on its home floor.

With the win, OKC has now moved to 8-2 on the season, having reset itself after back-to-back losses versus the Mavericks and Rockets.

Below are some winners and losers from the team’s win over Washington:

Winner: Jared McCain

After missing 18-straight 3-pointers across four different games, Thunder sharpshooter Jared McCain has officially bounced back in back-to-back contests.

On Friday, he scorched the Grizzlies for 21 points, going for a career-high four steals. Saturday he continued his hot streak, going for 17 points in the first half alone, including some patented pull-up triples. He would finish with 19.

Perhaps most importantly, McCain was able to rebound in both contests, which has been much-needed for OKC.

Loser: Wizards’ two-way play

One would have to think long and hard to figure out what was worse between the Wizards’ offense and defense Saturday evening.

Offensively, they failed to even eclipse 80 points, shooting 30% from the field in total.

Deensviely, they let the Thunder go for 114, shooting 49% from the field an accessing nearly any spot on any given possession.

Winner: SGA’s energy

Last season, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a habit of missing out of fourth quarters due to the team’s dominance through the first three frames. This season, he’s rarely had that luxury, with the Thunder battling more due to a lack of talent and shortened rotation.

On Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to sit the final frame, just as he did on the front night of the back-to-back, due to OKC’s dominance.

Even more, he saw one of his best performances of the season, going for 30 points in just 29 minutes played. Additionally, he saw an elite play-making game, dishing out nine assists to just two turnovers to finish as a +21.

Winner: Aday Mara

The Thunder’s rookie has been good all season long, dating back to preseason. But he was especially great in the bout with Washington.

He went for a career-high 18 points on 80% shooting adding three blocks on the interior in 7-foot-4 fashion. He's so far been a major contributor for Oklahoma City, adding another talented frontcourt member able to play alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren and more. He trailed only SGA and McCain in scoring Saturday.

Mara capped his night by hitting a 3-pointer — the first of his career — and issuing the home crowd a grin. It was his first triple attempt on the entire season.