OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jalen Williams, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s second scoring option, looked like a budding superstar during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Julius Randle, the Minnesota Timberwolves' second option, looked like a bystander.
If those results repeats themselves in Game 5 on Wednesday in Oklahoma City, the Thunder could clinch the series and be heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 while the Timberwolves likely will head into next year still having never gotten past the conference finals.
Williams scored 34 points on 13-for-24 shooting in Game 4, a 128-126 win for Oklahoma City that gave the Thunder a 3-1 lead in the series. His biggest shot came in the fourth quarter. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander threw a pass between Jaden McDaniels' legs while doing the splits and falling to the ground, and Williams caught it and drained a 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 116-109 lead.
“Honestly I think the clock was low so I was just kind of like, ‘Shoot it.’ ... Just shots in general, I work really hard and shoot a lot of them, so when I’m shooting them, that’s kind of my mindset going into it: Just being aggressive and take what the defense gives me," Williams said.
The timing of the shot was critical, and it gave the Thunder some much-needed cushion against a Timberwolves team that did not quit.
“This journey is not easy, and it’s not meant to be easy," Williams said. "These experiences will make us better. Down the stretch, you’ve got to know the score, obviously, but you can’t let that affect the game. They’re going to score. They’re a really good team. ... I think a lot of it is we just stayed with it.”
While Gilgeous-Alexander has garnered most of the attention for the Thunder this season, Williams quietly has stacked up accolades and played a key role in their league-best 68-14 regular-season record. Williams was named an All-Star for the first time, then was selected third-team All-NBA and second-team all-defense.
It hasn't been all smooth for Williams in the playoffs — he hit some ruts against Denver in the Western Conference semifinals and he scored only 13 points in the Game 3 blowout loss at Minnesota on Saturday. But Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the 24-year-old Williams keeps improving because he has the right approach to the game. He is averaging 23 points on 49% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from 3-point range in the series.
“The thing I’m impressed with about him is his ability to learn from his experiences very quickly is impressive," Daigneault said. “He had some games in the Denver series that he wasn’t great offensively. He just looks at it in a very intentional way and improves.”
Where some players' growth can be measured year by year, Williams seemingly takes steps daily.
“I just think his carryover and his growth from game to game is exciting,” Daigneault said. "He’s still a young player, as great of a player as he is.”
Williams helped the Thunder overcome a game from a Timberwolves team that did a lot of things right. The Wolves shot 51.2% and made 18 3s in Game 5. Before Monday's game, teams that shot 50% or better from the floor and made 18 or more 3s were 55-0 in the playoffs.
Randle wasn't responsible for the fireworks. After posting 28 points in Game 1 and 24 points in Game 3, he scored five points on 1-for-7 shooting and had five turnovers in Game 4.
He also had a 2-for-11, six-point clunker in a Game 2 loss.
“I’ve got to figure out a way to get myself in position to be more aggressive, rather than just standing, spectating or trying to crash the glass,” he said. "Or, I can just find other little things to do.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press
