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With the entire sports world’s attention on the 2025 NBA Finals, Jalen Williams has come a long way over the last four years from small-school Santa Clara, which likely only had a couple thousand people in the stands, to a global stage with millions watching.
The championship series is only one game old, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are already at their first hurdle. Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 1 game-winner put the title favorite in a 0-1 series hole. Goes without saying, but the Thunder must win Game 2 or risk being on the cusp of an all-time upset.
If the Thunder even the series 1-1, Williams will likely play a big part. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort did enough to secure a Game 1 win, but the rest of the starters struggled. For the 24-year-old, that was 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
Besides a hot three-minute fourth-quarter stretch, Williams couldn’t buy a bucket. His process was solid. The rhythm scorer created quality mid-range looks and bullied his way into the basket. But the lack of touch created frustration.
Expect Williams to bounce back. The Pacers don’t possess defensive titans to slow down the All-Star player. If you can copy his shot chart, he’ll surely enjoy better luck on balls that rimmed out or barely missed. The 24-year-old stayed cool when asked about the heavy expectations he shoulders.
“I try and think of myself as somebody that’s very uncommon. I don’t ever think that I’m in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play,” Williams said. “Pressure is a privilege. So I enjoy being counted on and doing that, and I just think I’ve been counted on since, I feel like, last year, to be totally honest, just in regard to being there for the rest of the guys. And now we’re here in the Finals.”
The Thunder have said all the right things after Game 1’s stunner. We’ll soon see if they can also walk the walk on the court. If you had to make a bet, expect the team that’s only lost two in a row once this year to make up for its avoidable mistakes.
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