Subscribe
Follow Us
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault isn't concerned over his All-Star forward Jalen Williams' abysmal shooting in Game 1's 121-119 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday. In a game where the Nuggets erased a 14-point Thunder lead by rebounding, drawing trips to the free-throw line, and efficient late-game execution, Williams' 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting stood out like a sore thumb in the box score.
Still, Daigneault is confident Williams will bounce back against the Nuggets in Game 2.
“No player, in the playoffs, no matter how good they are, is playing all these high-level games against these high-level opponents, is having great games. He had a great series against Memphis. We couldn’t have more confidence in him,” Daigneault said. “He’s a far better player now than he was a month ago. Never mind a year ago. So, I’m not gonna overreact to one game.”
Williams averaged 23.3 points on 47.8% shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in the Thunder's 4-0 series against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a rare showing for Williams in Game 1 as he'll look to bounce back.
Jalen Williams absolves Chet Holmgren of blame after Thunder loss
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault and All-Star Jalen Williams absolved Chet Holmgren of blame for missing two free throws towards the end of the Nuggets' Game 1 victory. After the Nuggets corralled the rebound with less than 9.1 seconds left to play, they got it up the floor to Aaron Gordon, who drained the go-ahead three with 3.9 seconds left on the clock.
Article Continues Below
After the Thunder's disappointing loss, Williams addressed Holmgren's missed free throws.
“That's not why we win or lose the game,” Williams said. “If they don't make that three, we win the game. If I make two free throws early, what's the score of the game? There are so many factors that factor into a game. That's not why we lost the game. Obviously, it sucks. It's good for character development. He'll be better from it later down the road.”
For Williams, losing a 14-point lead is common in the NBA. However, the Thunder can't get used to it in the postseason.
“The average swing in an NBA game is 13 points,” Williams said. “So, you go up 13. You go down [by] 13. That's just our norm for the playoffs is still around there. That's just how basketball is. We understand that. It just didn't happen to go our way tonight.”
The Thunder will look to even the series 1-1 in Game 2 at the Paycom Center on Wednesday.
