Washington Wizards Show Flashes, But Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate First Half
Coming into tonight’s game, the Washington Wizards have won four of the last five road meetings in Oklahoma City. The Wizards are trying to see if they can continue a positive trend to get their first win after the All-Star break. The Shai Gilgeous Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder will not let that happen so easily on their home court.
Kyle Kuzma hit six three pointers last night and he got things started for the Wizards early on. Last night, the Nuggets dominated the paint which could be an opportunity again for the Thunder. Landry Shamet was in with the starters for the injured Deni Avdija (left heel contusion) and found himself in foul trouble early in the game.
Below are some first half highlights and updates:
Jordan Poole checked in at the mid-point of the first quarter and he missed two open shots early on before he got going. He’s continuing to be aggressive in his newest role as the sixth man off the bench.
Corey Kispert is playing like a man with something to prove and is off to very hot start for the Wizards with 19 points in just under 18 minutes.
Eugene Omoruyi also saw some early minutes after showing some intensity against the Denver Nuggets. Johnny Davis also got some early minutes again, just as he did last night. Interim Head Coach Brian Keefe is not afraid to mix up the line-up and adjust see what clicks based on the opponent.
Coming into tonight’s game, Marvin Bagley III had 49 offensive rebounds since early January. Bagley continued with this determination in the paint after only playing 17 minutes last night.
OKC found a rhythm from three-point range and started to get the crowd into it. While the Wizards would decrease the Thunder’s lead, ultimately the Thunder would dominate the first half.
The Thunder has 80 points at halftime so if the Wizards want any chance to make this a competitive game, Coach Keefe has to figure out a defensive strategy to keep the hot shooters hot but get the defensive capability up.
