Preview: Wizards Face Thunder On ESPN
Game 8- Thunder (3-4) at Wizards (1-6)
TV: 8pm ESPN, NBC Sports Washington
Last game: Washington lost to Memphis 107-95
- John Wall-22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds
- Bradley Beal-17 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds
- Kelly Oubre Jr.-16 points, 2 rebounds
Projected Thunder starters-George, Grant, Adams, Westbrook, Ferguson
Projected Wizards starters-Porter Jr., Green, Mahinmi, Wall, Beal
Latest from Oklahoma City-The Thunder are playing the second of a back-to-back following a comeback victory after being 19 points down in the 3rd quarter in Charlotte last night. OKC is led by point guard, Russell Westbrook, who scored 29 last night, and now leads the team with an average of nearly 26 points a game. Although he had a lousy shooting last night, going 4-20 and 0-10 from 3-point range, forward Paul George should rebound tonight against Washington, in which he averaged 23 points a game in the two outings last year. Steven Adams will give Dwight Howard all he can handle, and that is if Howard plays plenty tonight. Adams averages a double-double (13 points-12 rebounds per game). Guard Dennis Schroder is the 6th man for OKC. Coming over from the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason, Schroder is averaging 14 points off the bench, including 21 points last night. The Thunder will be going for their 4th win in a row.
Latest from Washington-The Wizards are back home after a woeful 1-4 road trip, which included losing three of the games by an average of 19.2 points. Washington was gassed in Memphis, as Beal had a woeful shooting night going 5-16 from the field, the Grizzlies going on an 18-1 run to start the second half of the game, and finally being outscored in the paint, 44-30. In other words, this is a team who is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, and the frustration level is on the rise. On the injury front, some good news as center Dwight Howard, who has not played a game, as he recovers from sore gluteness, is on schedule to make his season debut for the Wizards on Friday night. Howard would be the shot in the arm that the team desperately needs, especially since he averaged nearly 17 points and 13 rebounds in 2016-17. The other injured Wizard, forward Markieff Morris, is still in concussion protocol, and is a game-time decision for Friday night.
