Jalen Williams’ Jaw-Dropping Bounce Back in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Jalen Williams had 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the 114-88 win against the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday Evening. J-Dub has struggled at times in this postseason, especially in the last series against the Denver Nuggets. This game was a positive sign for him moving forward down the road after his struggles. Let’s take a little bit of a deeper dive into the performance of Williams in a little more detailed analysis of the game. 

Williams Performance Review 

J-Dub’s performance was thrilling to watch, especially how he attacked the defensive side of the ball in this game. Williams also had a strong performance in Game 7 against the Nuggets, as he was able to carry that intensity into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The most impressive part of Williams’ performance in this game was the five steals, for me. That showed that he was willing to make an impact guarding the Wolves, and helping on the backside of the post game, to get the back taps. His efficiency in this game’s shooting left a little to be desired. 

Williams shot 7-18 from the floor in this game, but his defense led to a +13 plus/minus in this game, which was the second-best mark amongst the starting five in this game. Mark Daigneault and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were probably glad to see him help change the game on the defensive side of the ball in this one. 

Final Thoughts

The Thunder are probably the best defensive team in league history at this point, and that is due to the versatility of 1-5 on the defensive side of the ball. Williams is a big part of that versatility on the defensive side of the ball. I’m sure that Minnesota is going to adjust in Game 2 and play an aggressive downhill style of basketball with Anthony Edwards being more aggressive on Thursday. But J-Dub and SGA are the main highlights of this game as the Thunder look to continue their impressive season on Thursday, looking to go 2-0 in the series. Total Apex Sports will have more coverage of the NBA Conference Finals throughout the next couple of weeks.