Washington Wizards vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Added To TNT Schedule

Washington Wizards haven’t gotten much recognition from the national media, but their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder has been picked up by TNT.

After revamping the bench this past off-season, the Washington Wizards expected to become a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Washington finished with a .500 record last season, causing them to miss the NBA Playoffs. The Wizards had come off two straight runs in the semifinals, so the front office and ownership group anticipated progression from their core group.

Instead, John Wall was forced to carry the team as Bradley Beal dealt with injuries and the rest of the primary pieces failed to develop.

This year, the Wizards are experiencing a similar season.

Currently, the team is .500, sitting eighth in the East. The difference is, there are about 12 teams competing for a playoff spot this season, almost all of which are near the .500 mark.

Realistically, the Wizards could end up making the playoffs this season, even if they finish with the same record as they did last year. The East seems to be filled with mediocre teams, but lack true contenders on top of the standings.

With that said, the Wizards – and really, most of the East – have failed to garner much interest around the league.

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John Wall is on pace to make an All-NBA team for the first time in his career. Both Bradley Beal and Otto Porter are playing at an All-Star level.

Somehow, the Wizards are still struggling to win games on a consistent basis, especially on the road, where they’ve managed to get just four victories thus far.

So while the core group of players are performing at a high level, it hasn’t been enough to win games, and certainly hasn’t been enough to catch the casual fan’s interest.

As a result, the Washington Wizards haven’t gotten much love from the national media.

In fact, their most recent matchup against the Boston Celtics was supposed to be broadcasted on ESPN, but the network decided to replace the game.

For the Wizards to finally get recognition, they’ll have to start winning games.

On Friday afternoon it was announced that TNT has picked up the Wizards’ game against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The game is scheduled for February 13 and tipoff is now set at 8 p.m. It was originally scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

While Wall, Beal and Porter have all blossomed into stars – at least to some extent – this season, TNT likely picked this game up for Westbrook, who could end up averaging a triple-double this season.

Next: Wizards Haven't Turned the Corner Yet

Still, the reasoning doesn’t matter much at this point. The Washington Wizards are going to have an opportunity to play in front of people who’ve never watched them before. It might seem like an insignificant chance to get some recognition, but it’s one the team rarely gets.