BOSTON –

Jalen Williams said execution and consistency were the difference as the Oklahoma City Thunder fell short against the Boston Celtics.

Williams pointed to defensive breakdowns early and offensive stagnation late as key reasons for the loss.

“I think we gave Sam Hauser probably about like five open threes… and that kind of set the tone for the game,” Williams said. “When they started hitting shots, we got a little more stagnant.”

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Thunder struggled to balance offense, defense

Williams described the game as a balancing act, pointing to how defensive stops impact offensive rhythm.

“Basketball is like a seesaw,” he said. “You got to find an equal balance of getting stops in order to flow your offense a little bit.”

He added that Oklahoma City was unable to consistently generate quality looks when Boston scored.

“When teams do score, we still have to be able to generate good looks… and we didn’t do that well enough for the whole night,” Williams said. “When you play good teams like that you have to be able to execute the whole game, and we didn’t.”

Facing one of the NBA’s top teams, Williams said the margin for error is slim. He added that elite teams like Boston rarely beat themselves.

“That’s what makes them good… they’re going to go in with a game plan every night… it’s just about who can execute the most throughout the game on a consistent basis,” Williams said.

Shot-making, effort plays still critical

Williams said while shooting matters, other factors play just as big a role in winning.

“When your process is good offensively, you’re going to make your missed shots,” he said. “There’s so many other things… offensive rebounding, getting stops, generating easier looks.”

Williams said spacing, cutting and screening helps to create better opportunities.

“It just comes down to how well you execute… and what’s the quality of those shots,” he said.

Williams continues to work back from injury

Williams has dealt with injuries this season and said he is continuing to build confidence and rhythm on the court.

“I feel great… it’s a good feeling to know that I got through another game,” he said. “Basketball got taken away from me a lot this year, so it’s cool to be out there.”

He acknowledged the challenge of playing under a minutes restriction and regaining flow.

“When you’re used to playing 35 minutes… and you take 10 away… your game gets a little more choppy,” Williams said.

Thunder focused on growth, not standings

With the playoffs approaching, Williams said his focus remains on improvement rather than outside factors.

“I don’t really focus on what other people are doing… wherever the chips fall, they fall,” he said.

Still, he acknowledged the importance of meaningful late-season games.

“We want to be in these games where winning really matters… to get home court advantage for the playoffs,” Williams said.

We used AI tools to help with editing and formatting this story. A human journalist reviewed everything before publication.