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Jalen Williams, despite playing his high school hoops and spending formative years in nearby Gilbert, Arizona, isn’t all that attached to the area. He grew up a Laker fan. He ventured to Northern California for his college ball. He was a Kobe Bryant guy, not a Steve Nash guy.
So, understand if he doesn’t wax poetic each time he returns to what the public figures is home for him, a place he’s publicly refuted as his home — he said Oklahoma City was that when asked the same line of questions last season.
But there’s something there for him. An edge when the scathing sun hits his braids fresh off the plane. Of all the places he’s performed, he’s perhaps been most flashy in Phoenix.
Through four appearances inside the building now called the PHX Arena, Williams has averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 58.3% from the field.
That includes Wednesday’s performance — a 125-112 win for the Thunder over the Suns — with the reins mostly handed to him, pouring in his 15th career 30-point game.
For all the talk in the back half of the season about Williams’ force, he’s found a way to wield it as of late. With drives that cut like incisions instead of drives that see him wobble off path, or the plays that see him bumped into forced midrange jumpers.
Williams is getting to the free-throw line at a notably higher rate, averaging 5.5 attempts since the NBA All-Star break (he averaged 3.92 before then). He made five of his six attempts on Wednesday.
Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Alex Caruso makes most of rare start for OKC Thunder in rally vs Phoenix Suns
TIPOFF: 8:30 p.m. Friday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (FanDuel Sports Network)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder forward Jalen Williams produces NBA All-Star stats at Suns
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So, understand if he doesn’t wax poetic each time he returns to what the public figures is home for him, a place he’s publicly refuted as his home — he said Oklahoma City was that when asked the same line of questions last season.
But there’s something there for him. An edge when the scathing sun hits his braids fresh off the plane. Of all the places he’s performed, he’s perhaps been most flashy in Phoenix.
Through four appearances inside the building now called the PHX Arena, Williams has averaged 27.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 58.3% from the field.
That includes Wednesday’s performance — a 125-112 win for the Thunder over the Suns — with the reins mostly handed to him, pouring in his 15th career 30-point game.
For all the talk in the back half of the season about Williams’ force, he’s found a way to wield it as of late. With drives that cut like incisions instead of drives that see him wobble off path, or the plays that see him bumped into forced midrange jumpers.
Williams is getting to the free-throw line at a notably higher rate, averaging 5.5 attempts since the NBA All-Star break (he averaged 3.92 before then). He made five of his six attempts on Wednesday.
Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Alex Caruso makes most of rare start for OKC Thunder in rally vs Phoenix Suns
Thunder at Jazz
TIPOFF: 8:30 p.m. Friday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (FanDuel Sports Network)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder forward Jalen Williams produces NBA All-Star stats at Suns
Continue reading...
