Jalen Williams: The Thunder got an MVP performance from the MVP’s sidekick

With eight minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder were reeling

With eight minutes and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder were reeling.

Once leading by as many as 18 points, the Thunder’s lead had been cut to two. In what was shaping up to be a repeat of Game 1, Oklahoma City appeared to be in danger of blowing a double-digit lead to the premier comeback artists of the playoffs, the Indiana Pacers.

Only this time, Thunder forward Jalen Williams stood in the way.

After the Pacers cut the score to 95-93, the Thunder went on a 16-4 run over the next two minutes and 55 seconds, pushing its lead to 14 before winning 120-109. And during that decisive stretch, Williams scored eight of his team-leading 11 fourth-quarter points, keeping Indiana at bay and leading the Thunder to within one win of a championship.

“Great force,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said when asked to describe what he saw from Williams in Game 5. “That was an unbelievable performance by him, just throughout the whole game. He really was on the gas the entire night. Applied a ton of pressure.”