Throughout NBA history, few teams have reached the mountaintop without a bona fide superstar in the No. 2 role.

JALEN WILLIAMS AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Somewhere amid a thunderstorm, a star shined through. Jalen Williams played the best game of his burgeoning career on the biggest stage, and the Thunder are one game away from becoming NBA champions after a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Pacers.

Jerry West and Elgin Baylor did it often. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James did it a couple of times. And now, Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have entered NBA lore.

Williams’s meteoric rise includes “unbelievable performance” in each round of the postseason as Oklahoma City takes 3–2 NBA Finals lead on Indiana.

The Thunder duo of Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were simply too much fr the Pacers in Game 5 on Monday night.

JALEN WILLIAMS AND THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER Somewhere amid a thunderstorm, a star shined through. Jalen Williams played the best game of his burgeoning career on the biggest stage, and the Thunder are one game away from becoming NBA champions after a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Pacers.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams has held a key role on the roster since being selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. In his third year with the team, Williams averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game across 69 regular-season contests.

The Indiana Pacers host the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet for the sixth time this season.