Jalen Williams led the Oklahoma City Thunder to score a key victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
Williams scored 40 points ahead of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Thunder scored 120-109 on the home court.
Mark Dean’s team rose 18 points in one stage before the Pacers returned again and reduced their lead to just two points.
Indiana is an exceptional fourth quarter team in these playoffs, and is demonstrated in Game 1 of the Finals when they overcame a massive deficit to upset lightning.
Williams explained what the Thunder did to avoid repeating Game 1 in Game 5 on Monday night.
Williams believes that playing carefully when other teams are running is a “human nature.”
Head coach Daigneault then instructed the players to learn from experience, and was clearly advised in Game 5.
“It was a good test for us,” Williams said. “If you really look back at Game 1, this was the same type of game. They started playing quickly and started running. We got it.
“Mark is very much present for us about growing through experience. No matter what game in the NBA Finals, you never want to be the same. We were able to get better through them, not panic.”
“In Game 1, you panic, you didn’t panic, but you know when you get up and someone is running, your human nature slows down and makes you less aggressive.
“Today we did a good job of playing the Force and continuing to play the game and waiting for a run.”
Chet Holmglen admitted that he was “impressed” by Williams’ 40-point performance in Game 5, despite not “surprising.”
“Man, he was special. He was special. It was a summer of a word. He was special,” Holmglen told Scott Van Pelt.
“As you said, this is the biggest stage. But it doesn’t matter where he is. He’s special. It’s dub. It looks all year round. It won’t surprise me, but I’m still impressed by it.”
Williams and Gilgauss Alexander carry the Thunder offensive workload in the NBA Finals as Holmglen was not at his best.
Power Forward scored just nine points in Game 5, but he’s made a big contribution to the defensive side.