INDIANAPOLIS — After the Oklahoma City Thunder turned it over on an inconsequential inbound pass, Jalen Williams launched off the court and prevented Bennedict Mathurin from making the final seconds more interesting. The 24-year-old jumped too high, too quickly. He broke his fall by hanging on the rim, but still fell to his side.
The foul showed how badly Williams wanted this one. The box score also showed that. He finished with 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. He shot 0-of-3 from 3 and went 11-of-11 on free throws.
The Thunder won a thriller in a 111-104 Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers. In a do-or-die scenario, OKC did just enough to accomplish its road trip goal and split the 2025 NBA Finals at 2-2 apiece.
As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed some time to figure out Indiana, Williams kept the Thunder afloat. He scored 16 points in the first half. The 24-year-old sliced through the Pacers’ defense. He was relentless on his drives and went to the free-throw line plenty of times once again.
That was always the next step in Williams’ progression as a scorer. He could hit on difficult mid-range jumpers, but a steady stream of free throws was a more stable source of points income. At the NBA’s biggest stage, he’s mastered the art of drawing contact. Such a unique career trajectory that gets overshadowed by Gilgeous-Alexander’s improbable ascension.
“That’s what makes us a good team. It’s more than just me. Way more than just me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about Williams. “He can carry the load. He can be the second fiddle. He can just play defense. He can guard your five. There’s so many things he can do on a basketball court. I think that’s why he’s having the year he’s having.”
The Thunder have seen Williams blossom in front of their eyes. Last year’s playoff woes feel like a distant memory. The All-NBA talent has proven time and time again throughout these playoffs that he could step up when needed. No better example than Game 4 as Gilgeous-Alexander finally took over in the fourth quarter.
“I think my biggest thing is just stepping into the moment, success or fail, just kinda living with the results. I put a lot of work into my game, so I just go out there and play,” Williams said. “I just don’t want to ever play a game and look back where I wasn’t aggressive, afraid to do a move, whatever the case may be. That’s how I look at it.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams left everything on floor for Game 4 win over Pacers
