Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams Drops 40 in Game 5 Masterpiece

In a crucial Game 5 for the Oklahoma City Thunder, All-Star forward Jalen Williams put forth the best game of his career. The Thunder star dropped a staggering 40 points to propel Oklahoma City to a 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals. William’s performance now squarely puts the Thunder just one win from clinching the franchise’s first NBA championship. While Willaims’ 40 points were a playoff career-high for the young Thunder star, it also had some historical significance.

J-Dub Historic Finals Performance

At just the age of 24, Jalen Williams became the seventh youngest player in NBA Finals history to record a 40-point outing. Williams is also the youngest player to drop 40 in a Finals game since Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, who dropped 40 points twice against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals. In terms of franchise historical significance, Williams came up only three points shy of the Thunder franchise scoring record for an NBA Finals, a record currently held by Thunder great Russell Westbrook.

Finals MVP Odds

While Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander currently stands as the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals MVP, this performance by Williams could give voters pause on that end. Prior to Game 5, Caesars Sportsbook had Williams at +3500 to win Finals MVP, with Pacers stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam firmly ahead at +800 and +650 respectively. J-Dubs 40-point outing in game 5 also increased his series averages tremendously, as he increased his points per game from 22 points to 26 points, and his field goal percentage from 41% to 45%. Expect to see J-Dub leapfrog to second place for Finals MVP odds before game 6 on Thursday.

Final Thoughts

The NBA Finals now shifts back to Indianapolis for game 6 with the Thunder seemingly in complete control of the series since falling behind 2-1 just a week ago. The Thunder have answered the bell at every turn throughout these playoffs, and that’s thanks in part to the team’s dynamic duo of SGA and J-Dub. Expect both players to show up and show out, and expect the Thunder to finally hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy Thursday night.