Thunder brings the energy, Wizards bring the turnovers in a rout

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma sends a pass across the bow of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during Friday nights Thunder win. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

OKLAHOMA CITY After a 10-game losing streak in December gave way to a five-game winning streak around Christmas, the Washington Wizards finally evened out in the first week of 2023.

Their return to earth looked like this: a win against the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks on New Years Day, a loss to the nearly full-strength Bucks two days later and a thorough fleecing Friday night in a 127-110 loss by a young, bold and athletic Oklahoma City Thunder team that those paying attention might have been able to smell from a mile away.

Coach Wes Unseld Jr. knew the dangers. He spoke before the game about the need to keep Thunder rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of the paint, yet the guard moved like a freight train all night, picking up speed around midcourt and chugging along until he was full of steam and heading right toward his defender. Sometimes the Wizards (17-23) didnt have to get out of the way Gilgeous-Alexander had a wide lane to drive on through.

For the Wizards lately, bigger has been better

Unseld spoke about Oklahoma Citys prowess in transition, too, and spectators had to whip their heads from side to side as if it was a tennis match with how quickly the Thunder played. Oklahoma Citys frenetic defense was the foundation of its win, goading Washington into 20 turnovers.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points to lead five Thunder scorers in double figures. Josh Giddey added 20.

Washington was again without guard BradleyBeal, who is expected to miss at least two more gameswith what the team is calling a low-grade hamstring strain. But the Wizards are accustomed to playing without their star guard by now. Their problem was a sleepy start.

Kristaps Porzingis took responsibility for not setting the tone. In a rarity, he requested to speak with reporters in the locker room after the game rather than reporters asking to talk with him.

Obviously, it was a tough game, but I did feel like I wanted to take some responsibility. [Daniel Gafford] and myself, we didnt set the tone defensively from the beginning. So that was a thing that was on my mind, and I wanted to say [it], Porzingis said.

The Thunders lockdown defense regularly picked up Washington players nearly at full court and buzzed at the top of the key, often forcing turnovers. Washington couldnt keep up and turned the ball over six times in the first quarter and fell into a 20-point deficit that grew to 26 before halftime.

Unseld said his teams issues were not schematic but on effort plays such as offensive rebounds and 50/50 balls.

Youve got to dig deep and find it, Unseld said. Find a way to create your own juice, your own energy, go out there and compete at a high level.

The Wizards were so flustered on offense that it impacted their defense. Gilgeous-Alexander was potent in the paint early, but he didnt need to carry his team. Thunder Coach Mike Daigneault played a fairly deep rotation with nine players, and everyone was active.

Hes just so patient. He has the best pace in the NBA, Kyle Kuzma said of Gilgeous-Alexander. He doesnt really force up wild shots. He always takes his extra dribbles. He does a great job. He can get into the paint anytime he wants. Obviously, their offense is predicated [on] allowing him to get into the paint, which they do a great job of.

Unseld, on the other hand, was so desperate for a spark he called on backup guard Jordan Goodwin and backup wing Will Barton, both of whom had fallen out of the rotation and hadnt played minutes before garbage time since Dec. 22.

They didnt help. Oklahoma City (17-22) went into the locker room up 26 and shooting 54 percent from the field with 10 three-pointers. The Wizards had racked up 11 turnovers.

The Thunder ended shooting 51 percent from the field and had 17 threes. Washington made a late push, getting only as close as 14 in the fourth quarter.

Kuzma led with 23 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Daniel Gafford had 15 points and nine rebounds. Porzingis had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Barton added 14 points off the bench.

Heres what else to know about the Wizards loss:

Kuzma received the seventh-most votes among Eastern Conference frontcourt players when the NBA released its first returns for the All-Star Game on Thursday. Kuzma, who is averaging career highs in points (21.3), field goal percentage (46.0) and minutes (35.2), was the only Wizards player among the top 10 vote-getters for both guards and big men.

The first EAST returns forNBAAllStar2023! Do you agree?