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In case you've been living under a rock, Billy Donovan will be coaching for the first time ever this Tuesday as an NBA coach at the Verizon Center... Oh and rumor is that Kevin Durant might play too.
The Wizards welcome the Thunder to town Tuesday night to give Kevin Durant their last recruiting pitch to join the team in the summer of 2016. Durant will see the Wizards up-tempo offensive first-hand and will be able visualize himself playing with an all-star point guard and budding all-star shooting guard in his hometown of Washington, D.C.
One would expect that the Wizards' faithful will be cheering for the home squad while also going crazy every single time Durant touches the ball in their hodgepodge, custom-crafted Kevin Durant Wizards jerseys, as this will probably be one of the most exciting atmospheres at the Verizon Center this year.
Game Info
When: November 10 @ 7 PM EST.
Where: Verizon Center
TV: CSN Mid-Atlantic, NBA TV
Radio: 99.1 WNEW in the Washington area, 98.1 WWLS in the Oklahoma City area.
Injury Report
For the Wizards, the usual suspects. Alan Anderson and Martell Webster remain out. Bradley Beal is questionable after injuring his shoulder on Saturday. For the Thunder, Steven Adams is day-to-day with back problems.
What to Watch
Where's the defense? The Wizards have given up 114 and 118 points in their last two games. Oklahoma City has been has been averaging 111.5 points per game this season and the Wizards are giving up 108 points per game. On paper, this does not bode well for the Wizards. The Wizards must get their defensive woes fixed and quickly, otherwise this could be another blowout.
Can Otto Porter slow down Kevin Durant? Otto Porter has already been tasked with guarding Carmelo Anthony and Giannis Antetokounmpo this season. He did not play well defensively in either of those outings. The last time the Wizards welcomed OKC to town, Durant went for 34 points. Durant will be just as fired up as the Wizards' will be for this one. The Wizards will need an extraordinarily great defensive effort from Porter and the team defense as a whole if the Wizards are going to keep Durant in check.
John Wall vs. Russell Westbrook: When the two fastest players in the league square up against each other, that's something you want to match. Westbrook and the Thunder got the best of the Wizards going 2-0 last season. John Wall played very good against Westbrook last season including 18 points and 13 assists in the game in Washington. Westbrook had the last laugh notching 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists including the game-winning layup in overtime. It's a prime opportunity for Wall to remind everyone that he belongs in the top point guard discussion.