OKC Thunder Big Man Jaylin Williams Enjoys Career Night vs. Pistons

At the 6:34 mark in the opening frame, Jaylin Williams was already responsible for seven of the Thunder's first 11 points. A tough rim finish playing off the catch at the top of the key and driving into Pistons star Cade Cunningham saw Williams bank a lay-up off the glass and crumble to the ground after landing awkwardly.

Favoring his ankle, he sauntered down the court, trying to tough it out. After the Pistons' ensuing possession, Oklahoma City burned a timeout to regroup as Williams limped off. Everyone had the same thought in Bricktown: "Another bites the dust," as the Thunder were playing with a skeleton crew on the second night of a back-to-back against the Eastern Conference's top team on the road.

The Bricktown Ballers were already without superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams, All-Star Chet Holmgren, starting big man Isaiah Hartenstein, Rising Star Ajay Mitchell and defensive ace Alex Caruso before eventually losing Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe and two-way big man Branden Carlson in this same game.

Out of the timeout, Williams emerged from the huddle and was able to stay in the game. To call this a gritty performance would be an understatement. He went on to have a career night.

“[Jaylin Williams] was unreal tonight. I thought [he had] great toughness and, obviously, great offense. I think that must be a career high for him. We flowed through him. This is a team that really pressures. Similar to what we had to do lately, he was a great hub for us again tonight. But I thought we made really good toughness plays. We outrebounded a team that’s really physically strong, and they dominated a lot of people there. I thought he had a lot to do with that. [Kenrich Williams], [Brooks] Barnhizer and once [Branden] Carlson went out, those guys – we played small with them - they scrapped and fought. So, like I said, we got a lot of really good individual efforts, really good team efforts. It’s a game we can feel really good about despite the loss,” Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault Reflected postgame.

Williams posted a career-high 30 points, tying his best mark from distance by tossing in five triples. He hauled in 11 rebounds, dished out four assists, and had a steal and a block on the defensive end.

This was the Arkansas product's best game, against the league's second-best defensive unit. He elevated his game while continuing to play his role. Williams shot 64% from the floor, turned in a 50% mark from 3-point land and 7-for-7 at the charity stripe while having a pair of and-1s in the course of his 36 minutes of action.

The backup man has a knack for stepping up in these moments, such as his run of triple-doubles a year ago, with a trio of them at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Now, with a short-handed crew, Williams stepped up for his first 30-point outing.

The 23-year-old was a key part of the Thunder's Wednesday Night success story, getting the game into clutch time against all odds before falling 124-116.