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OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have put the Oklahoma City Thunder on his back and taken them through the finish line in his impressive performance against the Indiana Pacers in Game 4, but Jalen Williams helped set the stage. His scoring and facilitating kept the score close before a 12-1 Thunder run closed out a 111-104 win. Before Game 5, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on Williams' growth with Oklahoma City over the years.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams' versatility and ever-growing talent are what make him so valuable to the Thunder's quest for an NBA title.
“Dub’s made tremendous strides. He’s one of the biggest reasons why we’re here,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Being able to shoulder what he does every night on both ends of the floor takes a lot of pressure off everyone else around, including me. He's a gamer. He's a winner.
“He continues to get better in every situation and makes it easier for everyone else around him, whether it's me in the two-man game or whether it's him switching onto the five defensively. He's a Swiss-army knife, and he's only getting better with every game he plays, and I'm excited to see where he ends up.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Jalen Williams’ growth over the years:
“Dub’s made tremendous strides. He’s one of the biggest reasons why we’re here” pic.twitter.com/H1Kcok5ya5
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) June 15, 2025
Williams finished with 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting. He also finished with seven rebounds and three assists. Jalen is averaging 22.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 0.8 steals in the NBA Finals. However, Friday's win showcased one of Williams' better shooting performances against the Pacers as Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a team-high 35 points.
How Jalen Williams ‘declared himself' a star to the Thunder
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It didn't take long for Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault to discover Jalen Williams' trajectory towards stardom. Daigneault recognized Williams' adaptability and knack for taking on new challenges throughout his rookie campaign.
“When he started with us, and this has been our approach with most players, it's not like we just hand him the ball. We put him in the system first, and the guys who are really efficient in the system end up banging on the door, and they kind of show ya that they need more, and he was in that category,” Daigneault said. “He came off the bench early on, and we weren't pushing every button for him, but he just kept showing the ability to take more of a load, and his efficiency was not dropping off, and his impact was not dropping off. If anything, it was increasing.
“And usually, when those guys are doing that, they're declaring themselves, and he certainly declared himself,” Daigneault concluded.
After his first All-Star campaign, Williams made the All-NBA Third Team and the All-Defensive Second Team.
