Ajay Mitchell was the story in Memphis with 35 points, and he's the clearest example of who has stepped up with the stars out. He's taken on a real creator role next to Shai, and guys like Kenrich Williams and Micah Peavy are getting minutes they wouldn't have gotten in October. The frontcourt is still the weak spot, but it might get some help back. Jaylin Williams (back) and Thomas Sorber (knee) are both listed day-to-day on Saturday's report rather than out, along with Nikola Topic (back). If either big gets cleared, the Thunder aren't quite as thin at the exact spot Washington would want to attack.
That's where Anthony Davis comes in, if he plays. Davis sprained his right ankle in Wednesday's loss to the Hawks, still finished with 26 points in 30 minutes, and then missed Friday's rematch, his first missed game of 2026-27. Saturday's report has him day-to-day, not out, so he's a real game-time call and still the biggest unknown in this game. Without him, Washington has been leaning on Will Riley and Khris Middleton at the 4.
The Wizards are 4-5, with a pair of road wins at Orlando and at home against Charlotte. Then Atlanta beat them twice in 3 nights. The second loss turned into a track meet because both rotations were short-handed: Atlanta took the 2nd quarter 38-27, and Washington cut the lead after that but never got all the way back. Scoring 132 without Davis is encouraging. Giving up 139 is not. That's a bad sign for a team about to face the best scorer in the league with no rest.
It's a back-to-back for both teams, which evens things out somewhat. Oklahoma City has a short trip home from Memphis and had the game won by halftime, up 71-49, so the starters shouldn't be worn down. Washington played a full 48 in Atlanta and has to fly to Oklahoma. The Wizards will feel the second night more.
Look past the 2 stars and both injury lists are long. Washington is missing Reece Beekman (shoulder, about 3 weeks), Tristan Vukcevic (hip), Justin Champagnie (foot, months) and Jamir Watkins (torn ACL), so there's not much behind its starters. Oklahoma City has 6 players on its report, 3 of them out long-term and 3 day-to-day, and is still 7-2. Tipoff is 7:00 PM CT. Watch Davis's status, whether the Thunder get a big back, and whether Washington has the legs to keep up with Shai and Mitchell after halftime.
