Jalen Williams went off for 40 points on Monday night to help power his Oklahoma City Thunder to a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals. NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points as the Thunder move just one win away from the title—which would be the franchise's first since they moved to Oklahoma City.
Williams's 40-point game came on an efficient 14-for-25 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range and 9-for-12 from the foul line. He did it all, scoring at all three levels and adding six rebounds, four assists and a steal. It was his third straight game with 25 or more points in the NBA Finals, becoming just the fifth player to do so over the past 40 seasons.
After the game, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault had the perfect word to describe Williams's performance in the critical Game 5 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
"Great force. That's the word," Daigneault said in his postgame press conference via Thunder sideline reporter Nick Gallo. "And we use that word with him in his development, and when he's at his best, he's playing with that type of force. That was an unbelievable performance by him."
Williams has had an incredible Finals series, averaging 25.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists over the five games. He was named an All-Star for the first time this season, and quelled any debate whether he's a worthy second fiddle to Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP play.
The Thunder have an opportunity to close out the Pacers in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, which tips off Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mark Daigneault Had One Word to Describe Jalen Williams's 40-Point Outburst in Game 5.