Running towards the corner, Isaiah Joe shuffled his feet a couple of more steps. He received Ajay Mitchell’s pass and calmly knocked down his first outside bucket of the season. He was a much-needed boost from the NBA’s worst outside shooting team.
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late in a 127-108 win over the Washington Wizards. They’re now 6-0 in the infancy stages of the 2025-26 regular season.
Joe finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, six rebounds and one assist. He shot 5-of-9 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had a steal.
After Joe missed the first five games with a knee contusion, he made up for lost time. With Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren out, he stepped up to be tied for OKC’s second-leading scorer. It didn’t take him long to knock off any rust from his absence.
The Thunder kept feeding him the ball from the outside. Joe’s outside shot was desperately missed. He can do it in a variety of ways, from movement looks to curls to catch-and-shoots. The offense looked crisp with his return. He helped bury the Wizards in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder shot 16-of-49 (32.7%) from 3. Joe accounted for five of their 16 outside makes. While most teams would categorize that as a bad shooting night from deep, OKC will gladly take that production, considering several role players have started the season ice-cold.
Joe’s two-man action with Isaiah Hartenstein picked up right where it left off last season. Hartenstein’s playmaking was used to its capabilities with the movement shooter. The dribble handoff actions work with an outside weapon that doesn’t need much space to let off an attempt.
“It was great. Having one of the best shooters in the league. Definitely helps the shooting a lot. Especially for my game, it helps a lot being able to move the ball and cut,” Hartenstein said about Joe. “It was definitely good to have him back for sure.”
Say what you want to say about Joe’s playoff drop, but he’s a regular-season machine. You need consistent role players like this to complete the NBA’s marathon. He’s the perfect player to receive the kick-out passes from a team filled with drive-heavy scorers.
“As a basketball player and competitor, this is what we live to do. Basketball is our livelihood. It’s the way we put food on the table. It’s what we’ve been doing since we were little,” Joe said. “Whenever you’re hurt and not playing, you get to watch the guys. Just wish you could be out there working with them. Putting in the blood, sweat and tears.”