The Washington Wizards were unable to keep up with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder during Thursday’s contest at Paycom Center, losing 127-108 on the road.
Bilal Coulibaly’s return was the story of the first half for Washington. He hardly showed any signs of rust as he tallied 12 points, six rebounds, three blocks, and a couple of three-pointers over the first two quarters.
The Frenchman proved his thumb injury to be a thing of the past when he recorded a chase-down block on one end then
finished with a slam on the other.
Both teams struggled from the field before the break, as the two sides shot at around a 40 percent clip. The difference lay in the turnovers. The Wizards struggled to create off the bounce against the Thunder’s suffocating perimeter defense, which led to 12 first-half turnovers for Washington. The good guys trailed 59-49 at the half.
The Wizards battled back in the third quarter. Corey Kispert and Marvin Bagley III led Washington to a 9-0 run that cut the deficit to 83-81 midway through the period. The Thunder answered back with three triples in the quarter’s final 73 seconds to extend the lead back to eight.
After exerting so much effort to stay close throughout the game, the Wizards ran on empty to start the fourth quarter. The Thunder went on an 18-2 run to take a 24-point lead halfway through the period and eventually sealed a 19-point victory.
Lopsided final score aside, Washington showed some fight through the first three quarters of a game. Sure, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams didn’t play. But the Wizards at least looked like they belonged on the floor opposite the reigning champs for most of the contest.
Coulibaly finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a trio of swats. Kyshawn George recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Tre Johnson showed some flashes, but could only muster 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting off the Washington bench.
CJ McCollum also deserves a shoutout for hitting the 2,000th three-pointer of his career en route to a team-high 19 points.
The Wizards head back home on Saturday to host the Orlando Magic.
