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.
Jalen Wiliams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scored Playoff Career Highs
Williams, a first-time All-Star and a third-team All-NBA selection in his third season, posted a playoff career-high 34 points as the Thunder took a 3-1 series lead against Minnesota.
“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.”
The 24-year-old Williams finished 13-of-24 (54.2%) shooting from the floor, including 6-of-9 (66.7%) from 3-point range. His six 3s were also a career-best for any game, per Basketball Reference.
“He was special,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored a playoff career-high 40 points. “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.”
However, Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t as efficient, shooting 13-of-30 (43.3%) from the floor and 2-of-7 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. He also had 10 assists and nine rebounds in 40 minutes on the court.
Jalen Williams and SGA are the first Thunder duo to drop 30 points each in a playoff game since Paul George and Russell Westbrook in 2018.
Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, And Chet Holmgren Combined For 95 Points
Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, also scored nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to go with seven rebounds and three blocks in 33 minutes of action.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the 95 points combined by Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Holmgren are the most by a Thunder trio in a playoff game since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008.
Despite Williams’ accomplishments and latest effort in Game 4, the Santa Clara product wants to remain focused on defeating the Timberwolves. OKC is aiming to make its first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
“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 can close out the series in Game 5 at Paycom Center on Wednesday.
