Backpedaling to the corner, Jaylin Williams was left wide open. San Antonio putting all of its attention on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a defensive strategy that has previously worked out. Wasn’t the case tonight, though. The bench player splashed the outside make and yelled at the crowd in celebration.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finally got one in their 119-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs. After losing three straight to the same squad this season, the reigning NBA champions regained their confidence.
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Williams finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds and five assists. He shot 2-of-7 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had two blocks. He was a game-high plus-30 in 23 minutes.
Game-changer. The Thunder bench checked in and completely caused havoc. Williams helped fix some of the rebounding woes. He also helped the second unit run a lot more smoothly. That’s something that was missed from the first three games against the Spurs.
“We love to muck the game up. Kinda just get out there, play hard, do whatever the team needs. Be physical, compete, those types of things,” Williams said on the bench lineup. “When we’re all out there yelling at each other, I feel like that’s when we’re able to push ourselves best on the defensive side.”
Throwing a curveball, Williams had a handful of defensive possessions on Victor Wembanyama. It’s too early to say anything conclusive, but perhaps physical wing defenders could be the seven-footer’s Kryptonite. Kenrich Williams also had similar success at just getting physical with him.
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The energy level inside the building was the best it’s been since Opening Night. Every fan knew the assignment was to provide the Thunder some much-needed energy in this can’t-lose matchup. Williams is the best example of that. Recently back from a lengthy absence due to injury, you can tell just how much he single-handedly changes the vibes.
“You don’t realize how much you miss or love something until you don’t have it. Not being able to be out there with my guys, I had to watch the Christmas game on TV because I was getting treatment. Just things like that,” Williams said. “Not being out there to celebrate with them and yell at them and joke with them or just being on the bench with them. You miss it so much. I’m a competitor. I love to compete, regardless of who we’re playing. I want to go out there and play as hard as I can for the team.”
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jaylin Williams, OKC bench helps Thunder finally get win over Spurs