Jalen Williams' 'uncomfortable' take on Thunder's win in rematch vs Cavs
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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams noticed a difference in his team's approach against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a 129-122 Thunder loss to the Cavs snapped a 15-game win streak, Oklahoma City dominated its opponent eight days later at the Paycom Center in a 134-114 victory where Cleveland never stood a chance.
Williams and the Thunder's critical 30-2 run in the first half kept their opponent at bay the rest of the night. For Jalen, the key to Oklahoma City's approach was its defense, a striking contrast to his team's effort in Cleveland. After Thursday's win, Williams discussed the difference.
"We just tried to make them as uncomfortable as possible, playing defense," Williams said. "I thought we set the tone there, watching back our first time we played them, we just had a lot of blown coverages. When you give that to a team, they get a rhythm, and it's kind of hard to stop. So, I thought we did a good job of just coming together as a team defensively, not having as many of those defensive lapses, and making them really have to work for possessions."
The Cavs' 13 first-half turnovers translated to a critical momentum shift for the Thunder. Coupled with Oklahoma City connecting on 11-of-19 threes and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 26 points before halftime, the Cavs faced a daunting 75-49 deficit to start the second half.
The Thunder's defense held All-Star Donovan Mitchell to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. And after Jarrett Allen (25 points) and Evan Mobley (21 points) combined for 46 points in last week's 129-122 Cavs win, Mobley finished with five points on 2-of-7 attempts, while Allen added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander's 40 points and eight assists led the Thunder. Lu Dort scored 22 points, including six threes, and Jalen Williams finished with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals for the Thunder.
Mark Daigneault reveals catalyst to 32-2 Thunder run vs Cavs
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed what led to a 32-2 run in the first half of Thursday's win against the Cavs. His team's defensive approach was critical, as Daigneault addressed its impact in contrast to last week's 129-122 loss in Cleveland.
"We were stacking stops; we were turning them over. Great activity, and I thought we just handled the point of attack tonight way better," Daigneault said. "We were able to blunt that part of the game, and last week, we were just behind the ball the whole game. And really, they had their way in terms of touching the paint against us and winding up on us in individual defense. That hasn't happened to us very much."
The Thunder will face the Mavericks on Friday.
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