Throughout the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunderthe playoff battle towards the Dallas MavericksShai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted they needed to “reduce that water” with the scoring and PJ Washington’s exterior taking pictures. The position participant remodeled right into a famous person towards OKC.
Gilgeous-Alexander could not try this within the playoffs. Eight months later, the faucet deal with broke whereas desperately attempting to show it off. Washington capped three dominant common season video games towards OKC with 22 factors and 19 rebounds within the OKC recreation. 121-115 defeat in Dallas.
After the Thunder completed their stacked regular-season sequence towards the Mavericks with a 1-3 document, Gilgeous-Alexander was left perplexed as to the right way to restrict Washington.
“I do not know. I do not know. I assume he will get up. I do not know,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned of Washington’s video games towards OKC. “He performed nicely. These video games are usually not the be-all and end-all. They’re alternatives to enhance and we positively want to enhance in that facet of the sport.”
The answer is fairly easy however keep on the bench – the Thunder want at the very least the return of Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein. Ideally each. On paper, the doubles duo ought to remove Washington’s disparities and freeze it out of the competitors.
As a result of each groups have been juggling accidents all season, the Thunder have not had an opportunity to play Washington towards both seven-footer in three tries. As an alternative, he feasted towards OKC’s smaller bench wings, compelled into a bigger position because of absences.
Washington continued to hang-out the Thunder’s nightmares. He averaged 21.7 factors and 14.3 rebounds in three video games towards OKC. All of it resulted in victories in Dallas. The Thunder’s subsequent probability to beat their points with the Mavericks could be in a hypothetical playoff sequence.
That is still to be seen nevertheless it’s within the playing cards. The Thunder ran away with the highest seed and the Mavericks could possibly be compelled into the play-in event if Luka Doncic continues to be out with a calf pressure.
This text was initially printed on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander perplexed by PJ Washington’s dominance
