Jalen Williams Makes a Big Comeback in Thunder’s Victory Over the Suns
In his much-anticipated season debut, Jalen Williams proved his worth with 11 points and eight assists, marking his return after wrist surgery. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns with a score of 123-119 on Friday night, securing their place in the NBA Cup knockout round. Williams, who played 29 minutes, contributed to the Thunder’s victory, which achieved its eleventh consecutive win. This triumph makes the team the fifth in NBA history to start the season with an impressive 19-1 record, finishing undefeated in Group A of the West with a 4-0. The player, who underwent surgery in July to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist and a subsequent procedure to remove a screw causing irritation, expressed his perspective on the game.Despite Williams’ absence in the first 19 games, the Thunder has maintained a dominant performance. Last season, Williams established himself as one of the most outstanding players in the NBA, averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. In addition, he joined Cleveland’s Evan Mobley as one of the two players to be selected for the All-NBA and All-Defense teams. Due to his absence in the early season games, Williams is not eligible for postseason honors, meaning he is no longer in line for the super-max contract bonus of $287 million in his five-year, $239 million extension. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the game with 37 points, including 15 in the last seven minutes with 4 of 5 in shots. In addition, he has scored at least 20 points in 92 consecutive games, tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in NBA history.The goal for tonight was to get into rhythm, but it’s an adjustment. The last game was, what, five months ago? Almost six. Trying to adjust to the physicality now was a little different. A lot of it was just rhythm, trying not to do too much, just finding the places where I felt comfortable five months ago.
Jalen Williams
