Cason Wallace Locks Down Wizards As Thunder Improve To 6-0

In the Oklahoma City Thunder's 127-108 victory over the Washington Wizards Thursday, Oct. 30, at Paycom Center, Cason Wallace excelled on both ends.

The 2023 lottery pick stepped up in the absence of stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, scoring 12 points on two three-pointers and assisting on three buckets on offense. On defense, Wallace brought his usual fast-twitch reactions in one-on-one situations, picking up four steals and two blocks, along with grabbing four defensive and one offensive rebounds.

The University of Kentucky alum is the first player to reach 10 or more points, five or more rebounds, four or more steals and two or blocks in a single game this season, and the seventh in Thunder history. Wallace now leads the NBA in total steals.

Wallace took on matchups of multiple Wizard players across the perimeter, succeeding each time. His defense was instrumental in the Thunder's 22 forced turnovers on the night, rotating perfectly like a well-oiled machine, causing commotion.

"...defensively, I'm just trying to be disruptive, trying to give a spark," Wallace said in the postgame press conference following OKC's big win.

After a back-and-forth first three quarters of basketball, the Thunder took total control of the game in the late third and fourth quarters. Wallace had multiple crucial defensive stops in the second half to help propel the Thunder to a dominant victory in front of the OKC faithful.

"Us being able to course correct in the middle of the game was good for us," Wallace said after the game.

Through five appearances this season, Wallace is averaging 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game. He is shooting just 33.3% from the field and 32% from three on five attempts a night, as plenty of Thunder role players have started the season cold from behind the arc.

The third-year guard started the season on fire with a 14-point, seven-rebound, five-assist, four-steal performance in the Thunder's double overtime win over the Houston Rockets on opening night. However, a knee knock Wallace suffered during that game sidelined him for OKC's next game in Indiana, and it set him off his groove.

After a stack of streaky offensive performances, this complete effort against Washington can set Wallace back on track for the rest of the campaign.

The Oklahoma City Thunder return to Paycom Center Sunday, Nov. 2, against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game will tip off at 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network - Oklahoma.