WASHINGTON (AP) -NBA history was made on Saturday night, but not the kind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards wanted.
The Thunder entered with an NBA-worst 3-27 record, with the Wizards at 4-23. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there had never been an NBA game matching teams who had played at least 25 games combining for worse records.
“I don’t feel we’re a three-win team,” Oklahoma City interim coach Scott Brooks said. “Unfortunately, we are.”
The Wizards aren’t much better. They’re off to the worst start in franchise history, sporting an eight-game losing streak – their longest since 2001.
The Thunder won 20 games last season as the Seattle SuperSonics, and were expected to be among the NBA’s worst teams. It’s much more of a surprise that Washington has imploded. A playoff team for the last four seasons, the Wizards would have to win 37 of their final 55 games to finish at .500.
“In abnormal circumstances, every game is a must-win,” Wizards interim coach Ed Tapscott said.
Tapscott said losing to the sad-sack Thunder wouldn’t be extraordinarily humiliating.
ination of what you’re doing.”
Both teams had opportunities to win road games against quality opponents in their previous game. Washington lost by four points in Cleveland on Thursday. Oklahoma City lost a two-point game on Friday in Detroit.
“We have a chance to win every game,” Brooks said. “We have to continue to fight and work through our issues. We have to figure out ways to win.”
Neither Tapscott nor Brooks has a guaranteed a job beyond this season. The Thunder fired P.J. Carlesimo on Nov. 21 after dropping 12 of 13 games, and Washington jettisoned Eddie Jordan three days later after the Wizards started 1-10.
Brooks started 2-15 with the Thunder, and Tapscott was just 3-13 in his first experience as a coach since American University more than two decades ago.
The worst record of any NBA team belongs to the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. Like the Thunder, they had a 3-27 record through 30 games and finished 9-73. The 76ers didn’t win their fourth game until the 42nd game on the schedule.
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