Jared Butler, Ousmane Dieng not enough for OKC Thunder against Wizards

The OKC Thunder had some impressive individual performances but could not put it together for a win. The Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Washington Wizards 105-89. OKC stayed within striking distance for most of the game but could not make a final push to overcome the deficit.

Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly stood out to help the Wizards get the win. Coulibaly finished with 19 points and four blocks in an impressive two-way showing.

OKC Thunder falls to the Washington Wizards despite stellar performances from Ousmane Dieng and Jared Butler.

Former lottery pick Johnny Davis led the Wizards in scoring with 22 points. Dejan Vasiljevic helped the Wizards pull away in the second half, finishing with 14 points and four threes off the bench.

Jared Butler continued his impressive showing in Summer League on Friday with 22 points. Butler was hot from the start and scored on the Thunder’s first two possessions, including a 3-pointer just 20 seconds into the game. Butler was on a two-way contract for the OKC Thunder to end last season and hopes to earn another two-way pact for the squad.

Despite the Wizards finishing with triple-digit scoring, OKC’s defense was active from the jump. The OKC Thunder finished with seven steals and many more deflections, led by Cason Wallace with two. Wallace’s defense wreaked havoc on the Wizards throughout the game. Near the end of the first half, Wallace drew a foul after poking the ball loose, leading to free throws in Lu Dort-like fashion.

Ousmane Dieng was the lone 2022 OKC Thunder draft pick against the Wizards. Once again, Dieng showed flashes of excellence with 17 points and a second-half outburst.

The Thunder’s offense focused heavily on outside shooting. OKC finished 14-of-36 on 3-pointers, making up almost half of its total shot attempts. Jaden Shackelford led the OKC Thunder in that category, along with Butler, with four makes each.

Recently acquired guard TyTy Washington made his Thunder debut and finished with four points in 19 minutes of action. His playmaking was on display despite being let down by his teammates at times, only giving Washington two assists off the bench.

The OKC Thunder move to 2-2 in Vegas and will play their final game on Sunday.