The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to face the Washington Wizards on Saturday, March 21, at Capital One Arena, but both teams enter the matchup with lengthy injury reports that could affect rotations.
Oklahoma City, which leads the Western Conference at 55-15, will be without several rotation pieces despite riding a 10-game winning streak. The Thunder defeated the Brooklyn Nets 121-92 on March 18 after edging the Orlando Magic 113-108 the night before.
The most significant absence for Oklahoma City is guard Jalen Williams, who is out with a right hamstring strain. Williams has averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 26 games this season while serving as a secondary playmaker next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Defensive wing Luguentz Dort will also miss the game due to a left knee contusion. Dort has started all 58 games he has played this season and averages 8.5 points while frequently guarding opposing perimeter scorers.
Branden Carlson is listed out with a low back strain, while Thomas Sorber continues his recovery from right ACL surgery. Two-way players Payton Sandfort and Nikola Topic are unavailable as well due to G League assignments.
Even with the injuries, the Thunder still feature the league’s leading scorer in Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 31.5 points, 6.6 assists and shooting 55.1% from the field this season. Chet Holmgren has also been a key frontcourt presence, averaging 17.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
Washington enters the game with one of the longest injury lists in the league. The Wizards, who sit at 16-53 and have been eliminated from playoff contention, have lost 14 consecutive games.
Trae Young will not play because of low back pain and a right quad contusion. D’Angelo Russell is also out and listed as not with the team.
The frontcourt is impacted as well, with Anthony Davis ruled out due to a left finger sprain. Cam Whitmore is sidelined with right shoulder deep vein thrombosis.
Additional absences include Leaky Black, who is out with a left ankle sprain, and Kyshawn George, who is dealing with a left elbow sprain. George has been a regular starter this season, averaging 14.8 points and 4.5 assists in 48 games.
Two Wizards players remain questionable entering the matchup. Tre Johnson is dealing with right foot soreness, while forward Will Riley is listed questionable because of right adductor soreness.
Despite the injuries, Washington still has several young contributors expected to play significant roles. Alex Sarr has averaged 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds, while Bilal Coulibaly is contributing 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
The teams have met once this season, with Oklahoma City winning 127-108 on Oct. 30.
