Thunder Gameday: Back Home Against Washington

The Thunder will host the Wizards in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Tonight will be the third game in four days for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they host the Washington Wizards. On the flip side, Washington hasn’t played since Tuesday and should be well rested.

The Wizards have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA this season, going through a stretch of 10 consecutive losses followed by a five-game win streak over the course of a month.

Both teams have losing records, so this game could go either way.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

ODDS: 

The Thunder enter the day as 2.5-point underdogs to the Wizards, and the total over/under is 230.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME: 

Bradley Beal re-injured his hamstring earlier this week, so his status is in question for the foreseeable future and he will miss tonight’s game. Without him, the Wizards will lean heavily on Kristaps Porzingis. With how much size he has, the Thunder could struggle to contain him as they don’t have a healthy 7-footer on the roster.

Oklahoma City is still without Aleksej Pokusevski and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who were both primary bigs earlier in the season. In their absence, Mike Muscala will be asked to step up.

While the Thunder are depleted in the frontcourt, their backcourt is loaded with guards that can score at a high level. This group is lead by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is set to make his first All-Star game this season.

RECORDS: 

Oklahoma City Thunder (16-22) vs. Washington Wizards (17-22)

WHEN: 

Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 at 7:00 PM CT

LOCATION: 

Paycom Center - Oklahoma City, OK

TV/RADIO: 

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD: 

Following this contest, the Thunder will stay in OKC to take on the the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Wizards will head back home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

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