Over and over again, it’s been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals.
He’s scored over 30 in four of five games. But in Game 5, it was Jalen Williams who carried the Thunder home. He scored a playoff career-high 40 points in the biggest spot of his career, helping OKC to a 120-109 win that has it on the brink of winning its first ever NBA Championship.
Earlier on Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared that some in the NBA believe Williams can have a “Scottie Pippen-like” career. Pippen is, of course, one of the greatest of all time. Maybe the one perfect all-time example of someone overqualified for his role as a second banana.
Before Monday, there had been glimpses of the Pippen comparisons. Williams is a ridiculous defender. He made the All-NBA Third Team in his third NBA season. His future and present greatness were undeniable, but the question of whether or not he was ready to reach the level of a superstar in the NBA Finals was left to be answered.
Well, he answered it.
Williams was on the attack from the jump, scoring six of OKC’s first 15 points. He also assisted on the Thunder’s opening basket.
From the opening minute, Williams was in complete control. Along with leading OKC in scoring, he was third on the team in rebounds and tied for second in assists with Isaiah Hartenstein, who played well after struggling for most of the finals.
Whether or not OKC won the game, Williams was clearly having a game that would cause even the most staunch of his detractors to reconsider their thought, but it wasn’t until the game was in jeprody that he reached to the bottom of his bag and emptied the clip in a way that few in NBA history have.
After OKC had led by double-digits for most of the game, the Pacers did what the Pacers do.
Despite a hobbled Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana stormed back from being down as many as 16 points and cut the lead to two points with eight minutes remaining. The Paycom Center was tight. It felt like Game 1 all over again.
The difference — Williams realized who he is.
With the score 95-93 OKC, and Indiana with all the momentum, Williams rose up and drained a 3. Then, he made a fading seven-footer off the glass. Then he got to the line, then he made a layup.
But, on the dagger that would eventually cause Indiana to pull the plug, Williams, widely and affectionately known as Dub, emulated his idol, his favorite basketball player of all time, Kobe Bryant.
Williams turned his back to Aaron Nesmith, regarded as an elite defensive player, put his shoulder into his chest, turned around, faded away, and cashed it to clinch his 40-piece and put OKC in a position to win the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Words can’t represent the excellence that Williams displayed Monday. Not only did he dominate as a scorer, he was elite defensively and opened up the game for Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points of his own and also had 10 assists.
Sometimes, the doer of the action puts it best.
Before his performance in OKC’s close-out game against Denver, which was the first sign it had truly grown up, Williams was asked how he maintained his confidence despite his struggles.
According to ESPN’s Richard Jefferson, his response was poignant but effective.
“I know I’m nice.”
Well said, Dub, well said.
