Oklahoma City Thunder star guards Jalen Williams and newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 74 points in Monday night’s 128-126 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.
Williams and SGA put on a show that pushed the Thunder to a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Williams, just 24 years old and in only his third season, exploded for a playoff career-high 34 points. The first-time All-Star and third-team All-NBA selection shot lights out all night.
“I feel like if you’re not really good, you’re probably not going to have any [scrutiny], so just play with it, just keep going,” Williams said. “A lot of people that are talking about me can’t do what I do, and I know that, and I think that gives me a lot of confidence to just go out there and do whatever the team needs.”
He hit 13 of his 24 shots (54.2%) and was nearly unstoppable from deep, knocking down 6-of-9 three-pointers (66.7%).
Those six threes weren’t just good for the game – they were the most he’s ever made in any NBA game, regular season or playoffs.
“He was special,” said Gilgeous-Alexander about his teammate. “He was really good tonight from start to finish. And he picked his spots great. He was aggressive. He stepped into everything, and he was who he is. He’s gotten all these awards for good reason, and he proved it tonight.”
SGA wasn’t about to be outdone, pouring in a playoff career-high 40 points of his own.
While not as efficient as Williams – shooting 43.3% from the floor and just 28.6% from three – Gilgeous-Alexander nearly notched a triple-double with 10 assists and 9 rebounds in his 40 minutes of action.
This marks the first time since 2018 that a Thunder duo has each scored 30+ points in a playoff game. The last pair to do it? Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
Young Stars Shine Bright
Rookie sensation Chet Holmgren added crucial firepower when it mattered most. The 2022 No. 2 overall pick scored 21 points, with 9 coming in the fourth quarter alone. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and swatted away 3 shots in his 33 minutes.
Together, Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Holmgren combined for a whopping 95 points.
That’s the most points by any Thunder trio in a playoff game since the team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City back in 2008.
Despite his incredible performance and growing list of accolades, Williams is keeping his focus squarely on the task at hand.
“I try not to get too ahead of myself with it, to be honest,” Williams said. “There’s still a lot of series left. We still have to go do a job this next game against a team that’s very good. So, that’s honestly how I think about it. I think after the season, whenever that is, I’ll be able to reflect on it, and that’s more the time to enjoy it.”
The Thunder now have a chance to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 when they host Game 5 at Paycom Center on Wednesday.
Minnesota will be fighting for their playoff lives, but with the way OKC’s young stars are playing, they might be booking their Finals trip sooner rather than later.
