Jalen Williams and the OKC Thunder hold themselves to a high standard, one that he feels they haven’t met yet.
After a big win over the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder will be flying high. Tying up the NBA Finals 1-1 was crucial for them after losing Game 1.
Gary Payton claimed that the first team to win on the road would win the NBA Finals. But after their 16-point win in Game 2, the Thunder would beg to differ.
Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 53 points in the win. The OKC pair’s star-level playoff run continues as both stars deliver at the highest level.
Williams reminded fans after Game 1 that the series was far from over. And even after tonight’s win, the All-Star isn’t ready to write the Pacers off.
Malika Andrews spoke to Jalen Williams after the Thunder’s Game 2 win over the Pacers. She asked the young star whether the Thunder had played their best basketball.
In typical Thunder fashion, Williams responded that their team hadn’t hit their peak, and he didn’t want to limit the team’s true potential to their strong Game 2 performance, especially as they face two games on the road in Indiana.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think you ever want to limit yourself. We’ve done enough to win games. I think tonight we did enough to win the games. But on the road, it’s definitely a different mentality.”
“They came in and stole one here, so they’re definitely going back home with a lot of confidence.
“So we gotta be ready to compete a lot harder than we did in these last two games.
Over the last two games, Jalen Williams has shown that he isn’t afraid of the big NBA Finals stage. He has been a reliable second option for them.
In the first two games of the NBA Finals, Williams is averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. He is the second-leading scorer on the Thunder, right behind SGA.
While his efficiency is far from ideal at 33.3% from the field and 22.2% from beyond the arc, Williams has carried the Thunder’s offense during stretches while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes some rest.
The Thunder will rely on Williams to score at a high level for them in their upcoming games on the road. Playing in Indiana has gotten the best of players, so Williams’ scoring will be sorely needed.
The last thing the Thunder needs is to be overly reliant on Shai as a scorer on the road. If Williams can continue scoring at a high level, while potentially addressing his efficiency, they can steal a game on the road.
