Minnesota was on the road Tuesday night to face the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. OKC was 48-44 at halftime, but the Thunder ran 10-0 to start the second half.
They never looked back and won the game 114-88. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team offensively with 31 points in Game 1. However, SG Jalen Williams quietly ruled OKC. According to the NBA, he is the second player in the playoff game with over 15 points in the history of the Thunder franchise, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 5+ steals. He joined Russell Westbrook, and he achieved it four times.
Thunder’s Jalen Williams made the impression of his best Russell Westbrook with the dominant stat line in Game 1
Jalen Williams became the second player in OKC franchise history, recording 15+ PTS, 5+ REB, 5+ AST, and 5+ STL to playoff games
The other?
Russell Westbrook (4x) https://t.co/lhkjbxhrfi pic.twitter.com/zwsqtecf9y
-NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2025
On the 12th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, OKC Thunder drafted Jalen Williams from Santa Clara. He plays in Thunder’s regular season games of 215 and has a 202 start. He was a full-time starter for Oklahoma City for the past two seasons. In 2024-25, Williams took his progress a step forward. Williams averaged a career-high 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steel per game. The 24-year-old was selected as an All-Star for the first time in 2024-25.
Throughout 12 playoff games in 2025, Williams is a key contributor to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Williams had a dominant stat line. He finished the game with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and five steals. The previous first round picks were the first OKC players in the playoff game since Russell Westbrook: 15+ PTS, 5+ REB, 5+ AST, and 5+ STL. Jalen Williams put zero turnovers against Minnesota on Tuesday.
Williams’ presence was felt on the defensive side of Game 1. He finished with a game high 5 steel. The 24-year-old was jumping through lanes that passed through all the games, resulting in a turnover for the Timberwolves. Williams’ steals changed the momentum of OKC’s game, routed Minnesota in the second half. The final score was 114-88, with the Thunder rising 1-0.
