Thunder's MVP Deputy Steals Spotlight with Star-Studded Display
In the final four minutes of Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves in a precarious situation. After holding an 18-point lead, the Thunder's advantage was slashed to just two points, with the Indiana Pacers looking poised to repeat their comeback from Game 1.
However, Thunder forward Jalen Williams wasn't about to let that happen.
When the Pacers narrowed the gap to 95-93, Oklahoma City responded with a powerful 16-4 run over the next two minutes and 55 seconds, extending their lead to 14 points before claiming a hard-fought 120-109 victory. During this decisive stretch, Williams scored eight of his impressive 11 fourth-quarter points, single-handedly keeping the Pacers at bay and guiding the Thunder towards the brink of a championship.
"That mother*cker was on fire," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault exclaimed when asked to describe Williams's performance in Game 5. "He put on a freaking show, man. He played with a ton of heart and intensity all night long. He really applied some serious pressure."
"He was, like, fucking incredible tonight," said regular season MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. "He stepped up in big moments. It seemed like every time we needed a basket, he delivered. He had no fear, he was fearless tonight."
Williams ended the game with an astonishing playoff career-high of 40 points, adding six rebounds and four assists to his impressive stat line. He shot 14-of-25 from the field, Getting buckets from deep on three occasions. At just 24 years old, Williams became the fifth-youngest player ever to score at least 40 points in an NBA Finals game, demonstrating his undeniable potential at the highest levels of basketball.
"A lot of the things that [Williams] accomplished tonight are things we talked about earlier in the season," Daigneault said. "He wasn't exhibiting this sort of play in November or December. His focus on improvement has transformed him into the player he is now."
"In order to get better and be good in these pressure-filled moments—and let's be real, I'm still figuring it out myself—you generate good habits when you've got the right way of going about it and you've got a process," Williams explained. "I'm extremely fortunate to have a coach, staff, and teammates that allow me to have my gross learning experiences during the year and figure out my game."
With the Thunder needing Williams to elevate his game even further, both during the season and in crucial playoff moments, it seemed that his potential might not be fully realized—until now. While Williams had shown flashes of brilliance earlier in the postseason, he struggled in big moments, such as scoring only 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting in a Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets in the second round. However, in the final two games of the finals, he's proved himself up to the challenge.
Over the last two games, Williams has excelled as the team's primary ball-handler in the wake of full-court pressure on Gilgeous-Alexander, responding with his two highest-scoring games of the championship round. His Game 5 performance was undoubtedly his most impressive yet.
"To understand the opportunity we have, I just try to play as hard as I can," Williams said. "Whatever happens after that is where the chips fall. But I'd be lying if I said I could imagine doing what I did tonight. I definitely could have seen myself here a long time ago, I just didn't think it would happen this fast and I didn't think it would be with a group of guys I'm incredibly grateful to be around."
On Monday, the Thunder were incredibly grateful for Williams.
Jalen Williams' incredible performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, where he scored 40 points, demonstrated his undeniable potential in high-pressure basketball situations. Amidst the Thunder's tight race against the Indiana Pacers, Williams' 16-point run played a crucial role in securing the team's victory, contributing to their bid in the NBA, particularly in the realm of sports like basketball.
