Thunder's Jalen Williams reveals biggest issue in 4th quarter meltdown vs Pacers
The post Thunder's Jalen Williams reveals biggest issue in 4th quarter meltdown vs Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints.
OKLAHOMA CITY — After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner in the Indiana Pacers' 111-110 win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams delivered his take on what went wrong.
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The Thunder coughed up a 15-point lead amid a 12-3 Pacers run in their colossal fourth-quarter collapse. Williams identified Oklahoma City's most significant shortcomings.
For Williams, the issues that hindered his team's fourth-quarter performance were reminiscent of when the Thunder surrendered a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of losing their series opener against the Denver Nuggets.
'We had a couple of defensive breakdowns that cost us, a couple of offensive rebounds that cost us, just little stuff down the stretch,' Williams said. 'I thought we had a really good offensive process. We got some good shots towards the end. But when shots aren't falling, you can't have defensive breakdowns like we did.'
In a final frame where Jalen Williams and the Thunder were outscored 35-25 by the Pacers, the Thunder went 6-for-17, including 0-for-5 from deep in the fourth quarter. Indiana's six threes in the final frame catapulted their comeback.
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After Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander came up empty on back-to-back Thunder possessions, Haliburton, with 11.3 seconds left, dribbled the ball up the floor before finding his spot from inside the three-point arc over Cason Wallace for the go-ahead bucket.
Haliburton's game-winner topped his NBA Finals debut performance, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while helping the Pacers steal Game 1.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander downplays Tyrese Haliburton's 'crazy' shot
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reacted to Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning shot. After Gilgeous-Alexander missed a shot that would have given the Thunder a three-point lead with less than 14 seconds left, Tyrese made him pay. In a game where the Pacers finished with a whopping 25 turnovers, they took care of the ball when it mattered most.
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The Thunder failed to preserve a 15-point lead. After the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander took reporters through the motions of the Pacers' final possession toward the end of the fourth quarter.
'I don't know; it happened so fast,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'He got down going right, pulled up for the middy, and knocked down the shot. I don't know, it didn't feel like anything crazy. He just made a play with time winding down, made a good play.'
In his NBA Finals debut, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals but will look to even the series in Game 2 on Sunday.
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Related: 3 adjustments Thunder must make after NBA Finals Game 1 catastrophe vs. Pacers
Related: Pacers-Thunder Game 1 hits record low in views for Finals
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