Jalen Williams joins Russell Westbrook in Thunder record books after historic Game 5 performance

Dharya Sharma

Jalen Williams joins Russell Westbrook in Thunder record books after historic Game 5 performance image

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams had a star-building performance in the Thunder's Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals.

Williams posted a playoff career-high 40 points and did so efficiently, as he went 14-of-25 from the field and three of five from three.

The 24-year-old's excellent performance on the biggest stage not only establishes himself as one of the premier players in the game, but Williams also joins a Thunder legend in the franchise's history books.

With 40 points in Game 5, Williams joins Russell Westbrook as the only Thunder players in history to record 40 or more points in an NBA Finals game.

Westbrook posted 43 points in a Game 4 loss to the Miami Heat during the 2012 NBA Finals, a series Oklahoma City went on to lose in five games.

Williams has had a terrific 2024 campaign, as he earned his first All-Star appearance and was also selected to the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. And to top it all off, his performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals has put OKC on the brink of their first title since moving from Seattle.

MORE: Thunder become first team in an NBA Finals game with these defensive stats, in Game 5 win

Dharya Sharma

A football fan who started his own website to talk about the Tennessee Titans, Dharya Sharma is an up-and-coming sports writer from Nebraska contributing to NFL content for TSN. Along with his duties on Sporting News, Dharya is the social media administrator for Locker Daily Fantasy Sports.