We all knew that Jalen Williams is an integral part of the Thunder’s strategy to win a title this year; however, no one could have predicted the absolute clutch performance that Jalen Williams would give during the Thunder’s Game 5 win in Oklahoma on Monday. What makes his performance especially impressive is the fact that Jalen Williams, or ‘J-Dub’, is only in his third year in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a threat that requires special attention, and the Pacers have done their best at slowing his point tally. As a result, the Thunder needed an All-Star performance from Williams, and he delivered.
The NBA Finals require a distinct mindset to win
Following a less-than-productive performance last year, Williams put in the work in the offseason and showed up this year ready to show us his true colors. As the Thunder had the number one seed, Williams had his best season to date. He averaged career bests of 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals this year, which earned him third-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defense recognition.
Jalen Williams’ playoff run is evidence of his exceptional talent and will
Following the Thunder’s win in Indianapolis, the momentum was on their side going into Game 5 in Oklahoma. The Pacers have done their absolute best to slow down the MVP performances from SGA, his Canadian teammate, Andrew Nembhard, has put in a truly remarkable defensive performance against SGA. However, the added defensive attention that SGA was receiving was always going to affect his stamina.
At the start of Game 5, midway through the first quarter, Pacers point guard and star performer, Tyrese Haliburton, strained a previously problematic calf, and the Thunder reacted like a shark smelling blood in the water. The Pacers did their best to mount a comeback in the third quarter, as they spent the whole game trailing the Thunder. In the fourth quarter, Jalen Williams took control of the game.
It was an All-Star performance by third-year player Jalen Williams
Williams took control by draining a three in the fourth that put a stop to the Pacers’ comeback. That three-pointer sparked an 18-6 run that handed the game to the Thunder. Jalen Williams ended the game with 40 points that led the Thunder to victory. By doing so, Williams becomes the third-youngest player to score at least 40 points in a Finals game, trailing only Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook. After the game, Williams had the following to say:
“I’m just out there being aggressive. “Like I said, I have a staff and teammates that allow me to do that, figure out my game and just figure out spots where I can try and be dynamic. A lot of that is just me trying to pick my spots and do what I can in order to win the game. Not every game’s going to be 40 or 25. It’s kind of like doing whatever it takes to win the game.”
Following some praise from record-breaking MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault had the following to say about Jalen Williams’ performance:
“When he’s at his best, he’s playing with that type of force. That was an unbelievable performance by him, just throughout the whole game. He really was on the gas the entire night. Applied a ton of pressure. Thought he made a lot of the right plays. We’re going to need a similar type of approach in Game 6 from him.”
Will the Thunder seal the title in Indianapolis on Thursday?
While the rest of the teams in the NBA concern themselves with the trade market and free agency, the Thunder are on the verge of winning the NBA Finals. The series moves to Indianapolis on Thursday, June 19. With the tactical changes that Mark Daigneault has made, Jalen Williams is playing more of a point guard role and giving SGA the time to make space and perform at his best. Reports are that Tyrese Haliburton will do a ‘walkthrough’ before decoding to play on Thursday. Can the Thunder finish the job, or do the Pacers still have some fight left?
