The Oklahoma City Thunder lead 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals.
After just a short two-day break since eliminating the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round series, the OKC Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-88 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
Earning major MVP support from former Nuggets coach and now ESPN analyst Michael Malone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC again.
The presumptive league MVP finished with a game-high 31 points to beat Minnesota, but his 11-of-14 free-throw shooting raised the eyebrows of several fans.
Photo by David Berding/Getty ImagesMark Daigneault applauds Kenrich Williams for staying ready
Once again, the Oklahoma City Thunder demonstrated strength in numbers that propelled their historic 68-win season. And in Game 1 against the T-Wolves, one intriguing name popped up as a key contributor.
Kenrich Williams played sparingly in the first two rounds of this postseason, and has now emerged as a huge wildcard for Mark Daigneault’s Thunder team.
The big man logged 10 minutes off the bench and was plus-19, finishing with eight points from 3-3 shooting as well as three rebounds.
Williams came in as early as the first quarter, helping OKC defend the paint and contribute on the offensive side of the ball.
“He hasn’t played significant minutes in a game since the last game of the regular season, it was five weeks ago.
“The amount of invisible work it takes to keep yourself that sharp, to be able to go into a playoff game like that in the Western Conference Finals and perform the way he did, the invisible work shows up there,” Daigneault said about Williams after Game 1.
“That’s unbelievable consistency, professionalism, mental toughness, all that stuff. And I truly believe it breathes life into the team.
“He was a huge contributor for us this season, and he didn’t really play in the first two series. He just puts his head down every day and keeps himself ready. Then, to go in and deliver like that was a huge energy boost for us.
“Our energy was not where it needed to be in the first part of that game, and he changed it. In the second half, he really changed it. Huge credit to him, it just shows everybody what we already know about him. That was a big-time performance.”
Chet Holmgren is proud of Williams’ readiness to play
In his fifth regular season for OKC, the 30-year-old registered 6.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.4 minutes across 69 games (seven starts). He mainly served as the team’s fourth big man in their rotation just behind Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams.
As the postseason began, Williams had to truly take a backseat and sacrifice his playing time. But the way he remained ready and professional to contribute amid long inactivity is undeniably commendable.
Holmgren has been a huge fan of Williams as his veteran guide, crediting his impact to help him bounce back from previous Game 1 blunders this past round against the Nuggets.
And for him to see Williams ball out and produce, the OKC star couldn’t be more ecstatic that his moment this playoffs has finally arrived.
“Regardless of the situation or what’s going on in the games, he shows up and makes it happen,” Holmgren said about Williams.
“I don’t think Mark has any hesitation calling his name when he feels like the occasion calls for it. We saw it tonight. He came in and was really a spark plug on both ends. He made some big plays, got some big stops right when he came in, and then hit a couple of big shots too.
“None of that is anything I don’t expect from him. I watch how hard he works, I watch what he works on, and none of that is outside of his game.”
Expect Williams to get more reps and playing time as OKC will look to take a 2-0 series lead against the T-Wolves in Game 2 on May 22.