Jalen Williams Explains How OKC Thunder Remain Steady When Dealing With Adversity

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen uncommon maturity throughout this season, Jalen Williams revealed where they get that calming presence.

On Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder handled another back-and-forth battle, earning a massive road win in Phoenix. This win earned them the top spot in the Western Conference and put their uncommon maturity on full display. 

The contest started with Oklahoma City getting down 13 points in the blind of an eye. The Thunder then flipped a switch and mounted a comeback behind a 20-6 run, swelling their newfound lead to 24. 

This young Thunder squad watched the lead evaporate in the third frame as the Suns rattled off a 36-8 run which could have shaken a less poised team. Oklahoma City relied on their leader, and MVP front-runner, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lift them out of another hole. 

“If [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] ain’t panicking, I’m not,” Jalen Williams said following the game "We don't do [panic] here."

As shots rattled out, and the Suns' momentum grew, the Thunder got back on track with a 23-8 scoring sprint that allowed them to walk out of Phoenix with an impressive road win. 

Gilgeous-Alexander does a fantastic job of leading by example on and off the court. The max contract point guard shows off an impressive motor that allows him to give more effort and production on the defensive end than any other star of his caliber. That helps the entire young Thunder team stay engaged on that end of the floor, and take it seriously. 

As the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the NBA in double-digit comebacks, it is clear to see where they draw that maturity from. With Gilgeous-Alexander not panicking, the Thunder will be tough to beat. 

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