When you join Kobe Bryant on a statistical list, that’s some serious NBA history.
That’s exactly where Oklahoma City Thunder rising superstar Jalen Williams found himself on Thursday night after a brilliant performance in a Game 2 win of the Western Conference Finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Williams finished the night with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He shot 12-for-20 from the field (60%) and didn’t turn the ball over.
He’s the youngest player (24 years, 1 month, 8 days) to put up a 25/10/5 line in a Conference Finals game without having a turnover since Kobe did it in 2002, according to StatMamba.
The Thunder have benefited greatly over the last few games from Williams’ return to his regular season stardom.
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Midway through the conference semis, Williams was struggling through majorly poor shooting nights.
Now, he’s back to his usual self, attacking the interior while also capable of knocking down jumpers and creating for others.
Williams remains a gem of a draft pick a few years ago out of Santa Clara.
Ironically, one of the knocks on Williams before he was chosen 12th in the 2022 NBA Draft was his age. He was already 21, relative to the usual one-and-done diet that often sits at the top of the draft.
But Williams ended up being one of the best players in his class, and now he’s making history for being young, not old.
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