Thunder vs. Wizards: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2017 Regular Season
Not even Russell Westbrook can slow down the red-hot Washington Wizards.
Washington moved to 33-21 overall and 14-2 in its last 16 games with a dominant 120-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in an inter-conference showdown at the Verizon Center. The Thunder could do little to slow Washington's offense, as the home team surpassed 100 points before the fourth quarter even started.
Washington's John Wall and Bradley Beal easily surpassed Westbrook in the backcourt battle.
Wall finished with 15 points, 14 assists, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal, while Beal poured in 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 from deep. Even with five turnovers, Wall was in full control of the game and dictated the pace throughout.
Westbrook countered with 17 points on a mere 5-of-19 shooting from the field. He also tallied just four assists and four rebounds, which did nothing to help his triple-double average.
Washington didn't score 120 points with just Wall and Beal alone. Markieff Morris scored a game-high 23 points, Otto Porter Jr. added a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Marcin Gortat chipped in 12 points. The team as a whole shot 57.5 percent from the field and 61.9 percent from three-point range to overcome 22 turnovers.
Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post didn't hold back his praise of the contender:
The Thunder looked like anything but a contender Monday and dropped to 31-25 and 1-3 in their last four games.
Westbrook was the only starter to score in double figures, although Joffrey Lauvergne scored 17 points off the bench. The team shot 35.4 percent from the field and 20.6 percent from deep and couldn't keep up with Washington's blistering pace.
Oklahoma City—perhaps still emotionally spent from Saturday's game against Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors—came out flat from the start.
Washington drilled its first nine shots, four of them from Beal, and was up by double digits within the first three minutes. It extended the lead to 22-6, spurring a reaction from the team's Twitter page:
Westbrook spearheaded Oklahoma City's response with 13 points in the first, pulling his team within six at 38-32. Still, the defense was nonexistent for the Thunder, as they allowed those 38 points and 73.7 percent shooting from the field in the first.
That unstoppable offense slowed in the second, allowing Oklahoma City to remain within striking distance. Candace Buckner of the Washington Post blamed the Wizards' bench unit:
While the Thunder pulled within three, Washington's starters returned and quickly rediscovered their offensive touch. The home team closed the half with a 17-7 run and took a 67-54 advantage into intermission behind Beal's 16 points.
The Wizards seized full control to start the third with a commanding 24-3 run. Wall made a number of impressive passes during the stretch, none more explosive than a between-the-legs dish to Porter for a slam:
If Wall's pass was Harlem Globetrotter-ish, Oklahoma City's shooting was straight out of the Washington Generals' playbook. The Thunder missed 24 consecutive field goals as the Wizards pulled away, and Royce Young of ESPN.com couldn't believe what he was watching:
The difference between the two sides bordered on comical for most of the third, and J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic described one of the deciding factors:
Oklahoma City's second unit prevented things from becoming embarrassing, but Washington still won the third quarter, 34-19, and took a 101-73 advantage into the fourth.
Both teams emptied their benches with the game seemingly over to start the final quarter, but Oklahoma City started with a 9-2 run and forced the Wizards to bring back in Wall, Beal and Co.
If the contest wasn't already over, it certainly was when Washington's starters returned. The Wizards put things on cruise control from there and pushed the lead back to more than 25 points, allowing the bench to return and finish the victory.
Postgame Reaction
Porter talked about the stretch where the Thunder went ice cold from the field, perCSN Mid-Atlantic: "We just tried to limit them to one shot, get the rebound and go."
Washington head coach Scott Brooks discussed his team's offense, per the Wizards: "I thought our ball movement was great tonight, great spacing, it was really fun to watch."
Westbrook was asked about the Wizards' defense on him and said, "I was doing what I wanted, I just missed," via Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript.
Thunder head coach Billy Donovan commented on the turnaround from the game against Golden State, per Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman: "I don't know if I would use the word hangover, but I think I made the comment before the game—someone asked me about the emotional part, and I was worried about it. We talked about it, and we were not at the level that I've seen our guys at before."
What's Next?
The Thunder will play the New York Knicks on Wednesday before the All-Star break as part of a four-game homestand. They will also face the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz during the span. Only Utah is above .500 among that group, so the Thunder have a chance to make a move from their No. 7 spot in the Western Conference.
Next up for the Wizards is a two-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday and Philadelphia 76ers after the break. The Pacers are one of the teams battling for Eastern Conference playoff positioning, so Washington has an opportunity to pick up a critical head-to-head win.
