addByline("Jeremy Hyman", "WashingtonWizards.com", "JeremyHyman");
The Wizards return home after a 12-day trip for a rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Game Info
Capital One Arena | 7:00 p.m. | NBCSW | 1500 AM
Probable Starters
Wizards (27-22): G - Satoransky, G - Beal, F - Porter Jr., F - Morris, C - Gortat
Thunder (30-20): G - Westbrook, G - Ferguson, F - George, F - Anthony, C - Adams
Wizards: John Wall (Knee - Out), Sheldon Mac (Achilles - Out)
Thunder: Andre Roberson (Knee - Out)
Storylines
*Afternoon Update*
Both Teams Shorthanded
Since last Thursday's game, both teams will be without one of their starters tonight, as John Wall will be out with a knee injury for Washington and Andre Roberson is out for the season after rupturing his patella tendon in Sunday's game in Oklahoma.
Wall played in Thursday's game in OKC, but missed Saturday's game in Atlanta and the team announced on Tuesday afternoon that he would be undergoing a knee procedure, with a timeline to be given after the procedure has been completed. Tomas Satoransky will likely start again in Wall's place, with Tim Frazier getting minutes off the bench. The two combined for 21 of the team's season-high 40 assists on Saturday.
The Thunder announced that Roberson will miss the rest of the season after his injury on Sunday, a tough blow for a Thunder team that had been red hot with him in the lineup. Roberson is one of Oklahoma's best perimeter defenders and will be tough to replace the rest of the way. They'll likely start rookie Terrance Ferguson in his place, who had 11 points on 3/6 shooting from 3p last time against the Wizards.
Returning Home for Rematch
The Wizards will play their first home game in over two weeks tonight as they host a Thunder team they played just five days ago in Oklahoma City. The Wiz went 2-3 on their road trip, which included a tough 121-112 loss in OKC last Thursday night. In that game, the Wiz had a tough shooting first half, but then exploded in the second, led by Bradley Beal who finished the game with 41 points. But, they couldn't slow down Russell Westbrook, who had a game-high 46 points to lead the Thunder to a win. The Wiz committed 23 turnovers, which led to 36 Thunder points, something that has been a point of emphasis heading into tonight's game. The Thunder lead the league in steals, averaging 9.4 per game. The Wizards are 15-9 at home this season.
Thunder Hottest Team in League
The Thunder enter tonight's game on an eight-game win streak, the longest active streak in the NBA. Over their last seven games, they have averaged a +12.3 point differential and have played as well as any team in the league. The Thunder are 22-8 since December 1st, which trails only the Warriors since that time. They are one of only three teams in the league who rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense and they can present plenty of problems with their starting five. This will be a good test for a shorthanded Wizards team tonight in D.C.
Up next, the Wizards host the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. (7:00 p.m.)