The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 99-83 in their first NBA Cup matchup. Before facing the Suns, Thunder forward Jalen Williams was excited for Friday’s game at the Paycom Center and didn’t disappoint in nearly finishing with a double-double (14 points, eight rebounds) to go with a pair of blocks and steals. After the win, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talked about Williams’ impact and continuous growth as a player.

“He really affects the game. He does so many things well. To sum it all up, when he’s out there, good things happen on both ends of the floor. Me and him were just talking about it; it feels like he still doesn’t even calculate the game; he just goes out there and plays basketball. His instincts take over. He affects the game on both ends of the floor at a very high level. His growth has been amazing. He still has room to grow, which is exciting. But, tremendous player for sure.”

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one block. Lu Dort added 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block, while Josh Okogie led the Suns with 15 points, and Devin Booker struggled. He finished with 12 points on 2-for-10 shooting, while Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were inactive.

The reason Thunder’s Jalen Williams was eager for Suns matchup

Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) drives to the basket between Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro (4) and center Jusuf Nurkic (20) during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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Thunder forward Jalen Williams was excited about the Suns’ matchup in the NBA Cup, Oklahoma City’s first of the regular season. Williams says the environment is reminiscent of the postseason and knew the Thunder’s faithful fans at the Paycom Center wouldn’t disappoint on Friday.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I haven’t even seen the court,” Williams said. “I think I saw a leak. So, I don’t know if that’s the actual one. So, I’m excited to get out there. I feel like it has a very playoff vibe to it, but not like the playoffs. So, it should be pretty cool. Our fans usually show out for it.”

Williams, coming off a season-high 31-point performance in the Thunder’s 106-88 win over the Pelicans, delivered on both ends of the floor alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against the Suns. Since losing Chet Holmgren to a pelvic fracture, Williams has been the team’s starting center, which included defending Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic, who finished with four points, 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from deep, and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Williams and the Thunder spent the night disrupting the Suns’ frontcourt in the 16-point victory.