The Washington Wizards and the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off Saturday night. The Wizards have lost their last two games, both against the Atlanta Hawks. Washington played without Anthony Davis in its last game. Kyshawn George picked up the scoring load, contributing 33 points. The Thunder are still playing well despite all of the injuries they are dealing with. They have won their last three games, including 128-97 against the Grizzlies in their last game. Ajay Mitchell has filled in well with the Jalen Williams sidelined. Mitchell led the team in scoring with 35 points and is averaging 26 points per game while shooting 56% from the field.
With Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren out, the Thunder have needed to adjust their gameplan to continue to win games. The successful formula has been to lean on their defense. Without Holmgren, Oklahoma City has needed all five players on the court to defend effectively. The Thunder's interior defense has not suffered without the presence of their shot blocker. They are still holding opponents to an NBA-low average of 36.9 points in the paint. Davis is listed as questionable with an ankle injury for this game, so that could be a major problem for the Wizards' offensive production. With both teams playing in the second half of a back-to-back and Oklahoma City's defensive ability, Washington could find it difficult to consistent scoring opportunities. I expect the Thunder to win -- but in a low-scoring, defensive struggle.
Wizards vs Thunder prediction: Under 222.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to 220.5.
