Thunder at Wizards
THE STORY: The Oklahoma City Thunder own the best record in the NBA and have won seven straight. The Washington Wizards have the worst record in the NBA and have dropped four in a row. That doesn’t bode well for the Wizards, who host the Thunder on Wednesday. Oklahoma City had little trouble in the first of its three-game road trip Monday, getting 28 points from Kevin Durant and 26 from Russell Westbrook in a 97-88 win over the Boston Celtics. The two All-Stars, who were named as finalists for the USA Olympic roster on Monday, have each scored 25 points or more in the same game 35 times in the last four seasons. The Wizards do not have anybody with that sort of offensive consistency, though second-year stud John Wall did have a breakout game with 38 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSOK (Oklahoma City), CSW (Washington)
ABOUT THE THUNDER (12-2): Oklahoma City is showing few weaknesses early in the season with Durant and Westbrook taking turns breaking down opponents. Durant struggled to a 2-of-7 effort from beyond the arc on Monday but Westbrook picked him up, draining a pair of big 3-pointers in the final minutes. The Thunder have a chance to pad their record even further over the next five games against sub-.500 teams Washington, New Jersey, Detroit, New Orleans and Golden State.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (1-12): Wall provided Washington with one of its rare positive signs on Monday. After not posting a shooting percentage above 46.2 in any of his previous 12 games, the 2010 No. 1 pick went 13 of 22 from the floor and 12 of 16 from the line against Houston. He even cut his turnovers down to two against eight assists and four steals. It was the defense that once again did in the Wizards. They have allowed an average of 112.3 points over the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Wall shot 32.4 percent in two games against Oklahoma City last season.
2. Durant has put up 31.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in seven career games against Washington.
3. The Thunder have taken five straight in the series.