Three Things to Watch: Thunder at Wizards

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Feb 1, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) dribbles the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) defends in the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

When the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Washington Wizards take the court in the Verizon Center tonight, two teams who have endured different paths this season will face off.

The Thunder had to deal with early injuries to their two best players: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The absence of those two greatly affected the team, as they got off to a start that reminded many of the latter years of the Seattle Supersonics.

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But the team has rebounded from those injuries and an abysmal 3-12 start, and now sit at 21-20, just three games behind the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns in the West.

The Wizards, like the Thunder, had to deal with injuries early on to players like Bradley Beal and Nene. But the depth, maturity and stellar play from key players, specifically John Wall, has propelled Washington to the No. 2 seed in the East with a 29-12 record.

Wednesday night’s meeting will mark the second and final between the two, and will most certainly be filled with fans trying to rally Durant for a homecoming in 2016.

Here are three things to watch heading into tonight’s game.

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