Shorthanded Wizards Fall to Thunder

The Washington Wizards were unable to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are on the losing end of the 123-105 affair to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at the Paycom Center.

The Wizards came into the game as big underdogs against the Thunder just based on record, but when Bilal Coulibaly (groin) and Alex Sarr (back) were late scratches, it really put Washington behind the 8-ball.

However, the Wizards came out with a good amount of fight, grabbing a lead in the first quarter. The Thunder pulled off a 15-0 run towards the start of the second quarter to take the lead for good, but the Wizards still managed to keep things close.

The highlight of the game came towards the end of the first half when Jordan Poole launched a shot from halfcourt to beat the shot clock.

JORDAN POOLE DEEP FROM THE LOGO 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yl9cJt5ulc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 24, 2024

While the Wizards kept things tight in the third quarter, the Thunder pulled away in the fourth, growing their lead to as much as 21 points and coming away with an 18-point win.

Poole led the way with 31 points while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 41 points to boost his MVP case even more.

The Wizards return to the court on Thursday to take on the Charlotte Hornets.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!