Thunder Rookies Headline Top Performers in Win Over Spurs

Jalen Williams and Ousmane Dieng showed plenty of progress Sunday night.

Oklahoma City picked up a much needed win on Sunday night to stay alive in the Western Conference’s playoff push. The Thunder knocked off the Spurs on the road 102-90.

OKC has now won five of its last six games, and thanks to a four-way tiebreaker, the Thunder now occupies the No. 10 spot in the West. Even without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder found a way to get it done.

Here's who led Oklahoma City's two-way attack in San Antonio:

Jalen Williams

Williams did it all for the Thunder tonight. The rookie seems to show off a new aspect of game every time he steps on the court. He was Oklahoma City’s go-to guy down the stretch, and it was clear that Mark Daigneault felt comfortable with the ball in his hands.

On the evening, Williams totaled 21 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. He led all Thunder starters with a plus-15 on the game. It wasn’t his most efficient game at 7-for-18, but he still found a way to take over.

Ousmane Dieng

The rookie dropped a career-high 17 points in 27 minutes. His time on the court was extremely productive and helped the Thunder win. He added eight rebounds and was a plus-10 on the floor.

Dieng’s playing time has increased due to his production on the court. He’s not just getting courtesy minutes because he was a lottery pick, he’s adding a lot on both ends when he’s on the floor. Dieng has scored in double figures in four of the Thunder’s last five games.

Josh Giddey

Oklahoma City’s point guard continued his hit stretch Sunday night. With Gilgeous-Alexander sidelined with an injury on the second night of a back-to-back, Giddey took over an extended role against the Spurs.

He responded with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. He was a net positive on the floor and 1-of-2 from 3-point range. Giddey has scored in double digits in seven straight games and is playing his best basketball at the right time.

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