Mid-range mastery, braids, shorts above the knee.
When you hear these words in correlation with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander immediately springs to mind. SGA has made these things sort of a trademark in OKC, and Jalen Williams is following in his footsteps.
Williams has been on a tear of late, dominating fourth quarters and leaving defenders in the dust with a unique blend of physicality and finesse, along with dramatically improved 3-point shooting.
J-Dub put his skills on display in from of a national audience against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 25 points, and dishing out seven assists in a 128-117 loss.
Williams, along with Josh Giddey, carried OKC’s offense in the first half, picking up the slack during a rare slow start for Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams scored seven early points, doing so in typical “Dub” fashion, punishing defenders inside by slithering around them or powering through them, while also making a three.
Williams’ ability to act as a de facto point guard while being 6’6 has been a revelation for OKC over the past few games, with the playmaking chops he developed in college shining through in a big way over the past week. The game against the Clippers was no different, with Williams effectively conducting the offense in the SGA-less minutes, while also scoring with his usual potency, even putting James Harden on skates at one point.
Williams’ all around prowess led to the second-year forward being OKC’s second leading scorer heading into the half with eleven points, and also having three assists. Williams’ contributions helped OKC stay within striking distance, but the Thunder found themselves trailing 65-61 at the half.
The third quarter was a poor one for Williams, who was unable to score any points, but did up his assist total to five. The quarter was a struggle as a whole for OKC. Between LAC shooting 13-of-20 from the field, and some questionable officiating that went against them, it was tough for OKC to get in a real rhythm, and the Clippers went into the fourth quarter with a 99-89 lead.
Williams exploded to start the fourth, throwing down back-to-back dunks including a poster on Daniel Theis. It was the latest in a string of games where Williams has turned into an offensive flamethrower to start the fourth quarter, and in a game that seemed to be headed for a demoralizing Thunder loss, it was needed in the worst way.
Williams continued to dominate the final frame, dishing out an electric no-look pass to Aaron Wiggins that led to a layup, immediately followed by a pull-up midrange jumper that cut the lead to just four.
Williams led the charge that kept the game close, and with just under six minutes remaining, SGA entered the game trailing by just four points.
Williams made a massive play with under four minutes left when he hit a corner three to give OKC a 115-114 lead, but from that point on, it was all Clippers.
With SGA a step slow due to a knee sprain, the offensive load fell on Williams shoulders down the stretch, and despite a valiant effort from Williams and Isaiah Joe, OKC came up just short in the end, with Paul George exploding and closing out the game for the Clippers.
