The reason Thunder's Jalen Williams is eager for Devin Booker, Suns matchup
11/15/2024 05:31 PM
The Oklahoma City Thunder are hosting the Phoenix Suns in their first Emirates NBA Cup group-stage regular season matchup. After Thunder's Jalen Williams scored a season-high 31 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, he looks forward to facing the Suns at the Paycom Center.
For only the second time, the NBA's mid-season tournament, which features all 30 teams and its uniquely designed basketball courts, is back in Oklahoma City. Williams is excited for Friday's matchup.
"I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't even seen the court," Williams said. "I think I saw a leak. So, I don't know if that's the actual one. So, I'm excited to get out there. I feel like it has a very playoff vibe to it, but not like the playoffs. So, it should be pretty cool. Our fans usually show out for it."
The Thunder's passionate fanbase rarely disappoints in giving its team the home-court advantage NBA teams yearn for, and Friday shouldn't be any different, as Jalen alluded to. Williams has been doing a little bit of everything for the Thunder lately. He is averaging 29.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in the first two games of Chet Holmgren's absence.
Mark Daigneault credits Jalen Williams' do-it-all domination
Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault commended Jalen Williams' stellar performance in their win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Williams scored 31 points on an efficient 10-of-18 attempts, including 4-for-7 from deep, seven assists, six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.
After the game, Daigneault was excited to give Williams his proverbial flowers and didn't wait for a reporter to ask.
"You guys haven't asked about Dub yet, but that guy was everywhere tonight. Literally everywhere. There's nothing on the court he didn't do tonight," Daigneault said. "He guarded the ball, he guarded the rim, he blocked the shots, he ran, he created plays. He made shots. He beat everybody down the floor on both ends. The energy that guy played with and competitiveness. So, when you have a guy like him out there doing that, it checks a lot of the boxes."
In Chet Holmgren's absence, Williams has undoubtedly stepped up in every facet of the game, including earning trips to the free-throw line. He went a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the Thunder's win against the Pelicans and will most likely keep that same energy heading into Friday's matchup against the Suns at the Paycom Center.
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