Jalen Williams Holds a Golden Opportunity in Game 7

As Aaron Gordon is sidelined to a hamstring strain, Jalen Williams can recoup in Game 7.

May 13, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrate after a scoring against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder's season is on the line on Sunday afternoon.

A slug fest of a seven-game series against the 2023 NBA Champions, the Thunder will have to put together a cohesive game inside Paycom Center.

And now, with the absence of an injury-hindered Aaron Gordon, Denver's odds to win this one have slimmed with him being an integral piece of their core five. Beyond that, the Nuggets will turn to Russell Westbrook, Payton Watson and Julian Strawther, who strung together an impressive performance to shift momentum in Denver's favor in Game 6.

Though, Gordon on the sidelined provides a pathway for Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams, who hasn' truly competed at his full capabilities in the season. Williams is an impressive and vital piece to this Thunder team, and even against an injured Nuggets, team he will need to improve his play and be on his A-game to close out Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Game 7.

Williams talent is too high to succumb in what will be the most important game of his career thus far—shooting just 33.7% from the field 21.2% from three in games one through six.

His defense has never wavered in this series, though. It's been steadfast disrupting ball handlers and tallying three steals on two separate occasions to average 1.5 steals to this point. His overarching value is still prevalent even in the absence of offensive efficiency. But in that same breath, a lot of Williams' value can be derived of his two-way ability, his three-level scoring with the ball in his hands—so Williams has got to turn it around in Sunday's game and beyond if the Thunder advance, and there should be faith in his ability to do that.

Williams knows how to rally a Thunder crowd and knows how to connect with the fan base as a whole—yet he has seen significant criticism from both external and internal groups. Some of it necessary and some of it overbearing. The outside noise is inevitable, but nothing but cheers should be coming from the inside of Paycom Center.

Williams can flip the script on Sunday, recoup and show up when it's needed throughout Game 7—and he's fully capable.