Jalen Williams Joins Elite Company in OKC Thunder's Game 2 Win

Jalen Williams has been a key to Oklahoma City’s success all season, and he is showing out as the Thunder inch closer to a championship.

The Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-103 in Game 2 on Thursday night to secure a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. As the series shifts to Minnesota, the Thunder will be looking to take full control of the series.

While it won’t be easy for the Thunder to win in Target Center, it will become a much simpler task if Oklahoma City’s stars continue playing like this. After winning his MVP trophy, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied his playoff career-high with 38 points, and Chet Holmgren added 22 points.

Yet, it was Williams who often stole the show on the court and in the box score. From the opening tip, it was evident that Williams could be in for a big night. He was getting to his spots in the mid-range early and often and was aggressive in getting into the lane to create for himself and others.

That aggressiveness led to Williams finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists without a single turnover. Shooting 12-of-20 from the field and adding a steal as well, Williams was able to join some elite company.

Williams’ Game 2 became the fourth conference finals game in league history to feature at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with zero turnovers. He joined Shaquille O’Neal (2000), Kobe Bryant (2002) and Jayson Tatum (2024) on the list, but Williams is the only player to do so in under 40 minutes. While there could be others to accomplish the feat in the league’s early days, no others have done so since the NBA began tracking turnovers over 40 years ago.

Although the game itself was one to remember for Williams, who had been highly criticized throughout this postseason, it also could bode well for the Thunder. Looking at history, the other three players to accomplish that feat went on to win an NBA title in those years.

While the Thunder won’t get historic statlines from Williams every night, his ability to play like a superstar could soon help Oklahoma City win its first NBA championship.