In their fifth game in seven days, the Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Washington Wizards 119-107.
The Wizards have now won five straight.
Without Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Roby, Oklahoma City was forced to play their 25th different starting lineup of the year.
Washington would come out extremely fast in the first quarter. After almost scoring 40 first-quarter points, the Wizards would lead by 13 heading into the second quarter.
Oklahoma City would fight back to get back in the game in the second quarter. The Thunder, who trailed by as much as 17 in the first half, cut the deficit and only trailed 64-58 at halftime.
David Bertans was the Wizards' spark in the first half, as the sharpshooter came off the bench and scored 21 first-half points.
Washington went on a 7-0 scoring run to open the second half to push their lead back to double digits. Yet, the Thunder managed to keep the game within single digits heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final quarter, Oklahoma City would go on a scoring run of their own. As an 11-2 run by, the Thunder pulled them within two points.
That was as close as the Thunder would get to take the lead. Washington would pull away late and end up winning with a final score of 119-107.
Of course, it must be mentioned that the Thunder matched up against their former franchise player in Russell Westbrook. The former Thunder point guard led the game with an impressive 17 assists on the night.
“When our guys are shooting in our gym, the fact that he’s been in that gym and shot at our baskets, he laid a lot of groundwork in this organization that we appreciate and respect,” Mark Daigneault said.
Despite the loss, Darius Bazley was a bright spot for Oklahoma City. The second-year forward posted a new career-high with 26 points tonight. He did so by attacking the rim and having a career-high 13 free throw attempts.
“I think that’s just how I get myself going, whether it's getting in transition, getting to the rim and trying to finish, or in the half-court. Good things happen when you get feet in the paint,” Bazley said.
Bazley also showed his versatility on the defensive end, as he was matched with Westbrook the entire night. While Westbrook had a great night passing, he only shot 27% from the floor.
Finally, tonight marked the 26th anniversary of the OKC bombings. The importance of this day did not go unnoticed by the Thunder organization.
General manager Sam Presti addressed the team early to remind them of the Thunder franchise's unique relationship with Oklahoma City.
“That event, as tragic as it was, there has been a lot of silver lining that comes from that in the city, and I think the Thunder’s a byproduct of that,” Daigneault said.
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