Washington WizardsOpen full analysis
Oklahoma City ThunderOpen full analysis
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Washington Wizards 127–108 on October 30 at Paycom Center, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way with 31 points and Isaiah Joe adding 20 in a balanced offensive attack. Oklahoma City's defense proved suffocating, holding Washington to a 106.4 offensive rating while the Thunder posted a 124.1 mark on the other end. The Thunder's fourth quarter was decisive, outscoring Washington 35–24 to seal the victory after a tight third quarter that saw the Wizards score 35 points. Despite shooting nearly identical field-goal percentages (OKC 44.9%, WAS 45.2%), Oklahoma City's ball security and three-point volume made the difference—the Thunder made 16 threes and committed just six turnovers, while Washington coughed it up 22 times and made 17 threes but couldn't overcome their sloppiness. CJ McCollum led Washington with 19 points and Bojan Coulibaly chipped in 16, but the Wizards' 16 steals by Oklahoma City proved costly. The Thunder's strong start to the season continues to build momentum in the Western Conference.
