Thunder at Wizards
Russell Westbrook has elevated his game to MVP-levels once again during Oklahoma City's eight-game winning streak, something the Washington Wizards know all about. The Wizards will try for the second time in less than a week to slow down the superstar guard when they host the streaking Thunder on Tuesday.
Westbrook scored a season-high 46 points in a 121-112 win over Washington at home on Thursday and is averaging 33.8 points and 11.8 assists over his last five games, including 37 and 14 in an intense victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. "I play the same way," Westbrook told reporters following the 122-112 triumph. "I can't really give you another answer because I do the same thing every night, regardless of what's going on." Oklahoma City is averaging 122.5 points over its last six games and will be taking aim at a Wizards squad that dropped four of six and could be without All-Star point guard John Wall (knee) for a second straight game. Wall's absence didn't matter much in Saturday's 129-104 win at Atlanta, as Washington shot 57.6 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point range.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Oklahoma, NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE THUNDER (30-20): Sunday's game was the first since the team lost defensive stalwart Andre Roberson for the season due to a ruptured patella tendon and there may have been some greater incentive to keep the streak alive while figuring out new rotations. "It's tough," Westbrook told the media. "Dre is my boy. I love having him on the floor with me, and it's a tough situation for him. We are just going to continue to lift him up and pray for him, keep our spirits high for him and keep this thing rolling." Paul George scored 31 points and is averaging 27.8 over a five-game span, although he was held to 18 points on 6-of-19 shooting versus Washington last week.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (27-22): Head coach Scott Brooks said that Wall - who missed eight games earlier this season with a sore knee - wanted to play against Atlanta but the team exercised caution ahead of a challenging stretch of five games in eight days, the last three on the road. Markieff Morris tied his season high with 23 points and Tim Frazier fell one assist shy of matching his career high when he handed out 14 in the win. "I thought we played with a great spirit," Brooks told reporters. "Our mindset was right where it needs to be. It's defending and passing the ball. It was a simple game plan but they did it with great effort, great passion. Now we just need to keep doing it."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards All-Star SG Bradley Beal scored 41 points in the earlier loss to the Thunder.
2. Thunder C Steven Adams had 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting and 13 rebounds in Sunday's win.
3. Washington won 120-98 in the last meeting at home on Feb. 13, 2017.