The Washington Wizards couldn’t overcome a slow start, nor negate a furious finish by the reigning MVP, as they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-112 on Thursday.
Newly-minted All-Star Bradley Beal scored 41 points for the Washington Wizards (26-22), but it wasn’t enough as the team dropped its’ second-straight road game, 121-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thunder superstar guard Russell Westbrook scored a career-high 46 points, 21 coming in the fourth quarter. Paul George chipped in with 18 points and four steals, while Steven Adams came away with a double-double, scoring 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Washington couldn’t buy a bucket for the majority of the first half. After going 0-10 to start the game, Wizards coach Scott Brooks felt the desperation as his squad suffered through another slow start.
“I didn’t think we would make a shot,” Brooks said to TNT after the first quarter.
Beal was the exception. He ended with a double-double as his 41 points and 12 rebounds were both team highs. The shooting guard almost had a triple-double with seven assists. While fellow All-Star John Wall added his own double-double with 21 points and 12 assists. Markieff Morris showed signs of life with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Shooting just 35.7 percent from the field at halftime, Washington—led by Beal—somehow kept the game from getting out of hand. Though they never led, they came as close at one point in the second half. But every time Washington tried to tie or take the lead, Westbrook stood in their way.
The Wizards have lost three out of four in the current road swing, and four out of their last five overall.
Here are the takeaways.
Real Deal Beal
Beal proved to be the team’s only bright spot in the first half and validated his All-Star selection with his hot shooting and hustle. He was decisive with the ball and took advantage of defensive switches, slicing his way to the basket for 14 first-half points.
This hesitation move on Adams in the second quarter highlights Beal’s impact.
Hesi got 'em pic.twitter.com/ydzJFmW63I
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 26, 2018
OKC went on a run to open the second quarter and the Wizards were scoreless for over four minutes until Beal ended the drought with an and-1 slam. He was the only Wizards player in double figures after two quarters as they trailed 54-40.
In the third quarter, it was Beal who led the Wizards’ charge by coming out the half with back-to-back triples. Washington outscored OKC 34-28 in the period, and Beal did his best to go toe-to-toe with Westbrook in the fourth, scoring 18 of the team’s 38 points.
Turnovers… Again
Washington has played uninspired ball lately and one of the biggest reasons for their struggles is carelessness. On Thursday night, they caught the turnover bug once again and coughed it up 23 times. They’ve now had 20 or more turnovers in three of their last eight games.
OKC thrives on reckless decision-making and lazy passes as they are the league’s best in steals per game. Both George and Westbrook rank within the top five in steals and they combined for six against the Wizards. What makes this duo especially unique is how quickly they turn these mishaps into points.
The Thunder finished with a commanding 36-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
No Answer for the MVP
Westbrook dawns the number zero on his jersey. It never suited him more as Washington simply had zero answers for the reigning MVP, especially in the second half. He scored just 12 points in the first half, but the next two quarters he would bully his way through the Wizards defense for 34 points.
With just under eight minutes to go, he soared for two of his 21 points in the final frame to give OKC a 92-85 lead.
RUSS SMASH 😤 pic.twitter.com/pbMWVuWnka
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 26, 2018
He put up these gaudy numbers despite hitting just one three-pointer the entire game and making just seven free throws. Whether it was pulling up for his patented mid-range jumper or going coast-to-coast, “Russ” had it going from all angles.
His heroics in the fourth quarter stomped Washington’s comeback chances.
Next up, Washington heads into Atlanta on Saturday to wrap up their five-game roadie against the Hawks.