Inside The Wizards

Washington Wizards Show Flashes, But Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate First Half

Score at halftime: Thunder 80, Wizards 57

Candi Waller

Washington Wizards Show Flashes, But Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate First Half
Washington Wizards Show Flashes, But Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate First Half /
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Coming into tonight’s game, the Washington Wizards have won four of the last five road meetings in Oklahoma City. The Wizards are trying to see if they can continue a positive trend to get their first win after the All-Star break. The Shai Gilgeous Alexander led Oklahoma City Thunder will not let that happen so easily on their home court.

Kyle Kuzma hit six three pointers last night and he got things started for the Wizards early on. Last night, the Nuggets dominated the paint which could be an opportunity again for the Thunder. Landry Shamet was in with the starters for the injured Deni Avdija (left heel contusion) and found himself in foul trouble early in the game.

Below are some first half highlights and updates:

Jordan Poole checked in at the mid-point of the first quarter and he missed two open shots early on before he got going. He’s continuing to be aggressive in his newest role as the sixth man off the bench.

Corey Kispert is playing like a man with something to prove and is off to very hot start for the Wizards with 19 points in just under 18 minutes.

Eugene Omoruyi also saw some early minutes after showing some intensity against the Denver Nuggets. Johnny Davis also got some early minutes again, just as he did last night. Interim Head Coach Brian Keefe is not afraid to mix up the line-up and adjust see what clicks based on the opponent.

Coming into tonight’s game, Marvin Bagley III had 49 offensive rebounds since early January. Bagley continued with this determination in the paint after only playing 17 minutes last night.

OKC found a rhythm from three-point range and started to get the crowd into it. While the Wizards would decrease the Thunder’s lead, ultimately the Thunder would dominate the first half.

The Thunder has 80 points at halftime so if the Wizards want any chance to make this a competitive game, Coach Keefe has to figure out a defensive strategy to keep the hot shooters hot but get the defensive capability up.

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Candi Waller
CANDI WALLER

Candi Waller also known as "CWall" is the Founder and CEO of CWall® Sports & Entertainment, President of the CWall Foundation, Inc, the Managing Publisher of the Fan Nation Inside the Wizards site, and President of Bowie Television. A native of Gorgeous Prince George's County, Maryland, Candi has been an authentic lover of all sports since her childhood. She was such a sports fan at an early age that she notes one of her favorite childhood shows as the legendary "George Michael Sports Machine". Candi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University, Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University and a certificate in Sports Industry Essentials from Columbia University.  Prior to and during her work in the sports industry, Candi has established her identity as a results-driven, relationship building advocate and professional with extensive years of experience leading and implementing successful strategic change, communications, and stakeholder engagement programs across geographically dispersed organizations. She’s worked across Big Four and Government Trusted Advisor consulting firms such as IBM, Deloitte, and the MITRE Corporation. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the National Press Club (NPC), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and is an ambassador for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In terms of what she likes to do for fun, that’s just it…anything that is considered fun, she’s all for it! She’s very close to her parents, brother, and sister, and has a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren. 

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