Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams reveals motivation for beating Grizzlies
Yesterday at 01:51 PM
After Chet Holmgren made his return from his pelvic injury, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams entered Saturday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies with added motivation to extend their winning streak. With a 7.5 lead ahead of the Grizzlies at the top of the Western Conference, the Thunder sent a message to the team trailing in second place by beating them 125-112 on the road.
After the win, a reporter asked Williams if he entered Saturday night’s game with extra motivation to capture another win on the second night of a back-t0-back.
“Yeah,” Williams replied. “We tried to treat this game as close to playoffs as possible. I feel like they obviously felt the same way. And Mark [Daigneault] is big on that, understanding each game, and what we [bring] to the game, and what the stakes are.”
On the second night of a back-to-back, Holmgren took the night off as the Thunder eased their starting power forward back into the fold. In his absence, all five starters scored in double figures, led by All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points, including 13-of-16 free throws. Aaron Wiggins finished with 26 points, including eight threes, Jalen Williams added 25 points, Alex Caruso chipped in 14, and Isaiah Hartenstein scored a dozen with his 14 rebounds.
The Thunder also out-rebounded the Grizzlies 55-40, a differential that surprised Thunder’s Jalen Williams during his postgame media availability.
“Oh, well this is new,” Williams said. “We’ve been harping on getting extra possessions. We’re a really good offense. So, anytime we can get extra possessions and fuel even more offense, our rating goes up quite a bit. So, that’s something we’re harping on.”
Chet Holmgren’s honest admission after return from pelvic injury
On Friday, Thunder forward Chet Holmgren returned in a win against the Raptors. The Thunder defeated the Raptors 121-109, and Holmgren spoke on his recovery.
"It was just a matter of when, and how I’d be getting back out there. And I got advice to don’t rush your way back, and the other side of me is like I really want to play," Holmgren said. "I pushed it as hard as I could push it. The medical staff gave me great advice on how much further I can go, and be safe, and I always kind of towed that line. I was able to get back sooner than expected, and I feel good."
The Thunder will look to extend their five-game winning streak against the Pelicans on Monday.
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