Wizards stay close with the class of the Western Conference before wilting in the final quarter of a 123-105 defeat. OKLAHOMA CITY — If the Washington Wizards wanted empirical evidence of what the perfect rebuild can produce, the schedule-makers provided it Monday night in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Missing Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Kyle Kuzma due to injury, the Washington Wizards hung tough against the vastly superior Oklahoma City Thunder before succumbing to a fourth quarter onslaught and losing,

After not playing at home since Dec. 10, the OKC Thunder are finally back in the Sooner State to take on a poor Eastern Conference opponent.

The Thunder were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored an efficient 41 points. Isaiah Hartenstein and Ajay Mitchell both had 16-point double-doubles. Jaylin Williams made his season debut after dealing with a hamstring strain. For the Wizards, Jordan Poole had a hot 31 points. Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George scored double-digit points.

Let's dive into three takeaways from the Thunder's gutsy road victory against the Pacers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivers his best performance of the season. Hesitation dribbles

The Thunder (23-5) have won eight in a row sans the NBA Cup finals. They dominated the Washington Wizards for a quick home game on Monday as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 41 points. Meanwhile, the Pacers (15-15) have won five in a row to claw back to .