Jalen Williams and OKC Thunder Must be More Efficient Throughout NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder finds itself trailing the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals after a clutch-time Game 1 thriller on Thursday night. All-NBA forward Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City a game-high 15-point lead with a breakaway dunk early in the fourth quarter — but scored 11 points on his other 18 shots from the floor.

Williams finished with his fourth-worst effective field-goal percentage (34.2%) of 17 2025 playoff games. He shot 5-for-9 in the restricted area but missed eight of nine jump shots, including all six mid-range attempts. The 24-year-old's only make: An uncharacteristic transition triple less than two and a half minutes after tipoff.

Williams' inefficiency was one of many areas the Thunder can improve in Game 2. Chet Holmgren shot 2-for-8 inside the arc. Luguentz Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had fantastic 3-point nights, but the rest of the team shot 3-for-15. Oklahoma City grabbed 10 offensive rebounds on 59 missed field goals, while Indiana secured 13 offensive rebounds on 43 missed field goals. The Pacers committed 24 turnovers, with 14 being live-ball giveaways, but the Thunder only managed to turn them into 11 points.

All in all, a perfect storm for a one-point home loss.

"These games really come down to one or two possessions," said Williams in Saturday's practice media availability. "The more we can find, throughout the game, little things to lock in on and tighten up, the better we'll be."

Williams registered 17 points, a team-high six assists, four rebounds (one offensive) and a steal in his Finals debut.

Alex Caruso is the only Thunder player with previous experience on the biggest NBA stage, meaning his young teammates are learning to compete with sky-high stakes in real time.

Oklahoma City is experiencing its second in-series two-day break of the 2025 playoffs. Game 7 of the second round's preparation provided two days of rest after the Thunder and Nuggets squared off for six grueling games. Williams said he is unsure if he wants days in between games until the next one begins.

"All you can do is try and have the same routine that you've had throughout the season, throughout the playoffs, and try and mimic that as close as possible," Williams said. "Whatever team can figure out how to get better each and every game, each and every series, usually ends up winning. That's what we try and do."

Game 2 between the Thunder and Pacers tips off tomorrow at 7 p.m. CST.

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