Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams were big parts of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship run last season.
Heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, Gilgeous-Alexander is playing even better than he did last season, when he won NBA Most Valuable Player honors. Williams is still working to return to form after missing the season’s first 19 games following offseason wrist surgery.
Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is averaging 32.8 points per game, ahead of last season, when he averaged a league-best 32.7, but he’s taking 2.4 fewer shots per game. Only the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic has a higher scoring average (35.3) this season.
The Oklahoma City guard is coming off one of the most efficient games of his eight-year career, as he was 10 of 12 from the field with 33 points in the Thunder’s 132-111 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Gilgeous-Alexander, a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First-Team selection, sat out the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.
“He puts the work in,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s got great vision of what he wants to improve on and then he’s got a lot of experience now. … He kind of channels all that into his work, which is ruthlessly consistent and very focused. All he’s ever done is improve. At this point, as great of a player as he is, it’s not surprising when he gets even better.”
Williams hasn’t been bad since returning, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 42.1%, but he has yet to take over the way he did at times a year ago when he earned his first All-Star berth.
Williams is shooting 51.8% from the field in his last two games, though, showing signs of improvement.
“He’s such a great player, he’s going to come around,” Daigneault said. “It’s going to take a little time from a rhythm standpoint. That’s fine. … He can take as much time as he needs. But the thing that’s great about him is he just competes every night and he plays the right way every night, so even if he’s not in full form yet with his shot or his offense or anything like that, he’s going to bring those two things and he’s incredibly impactful because of that.”
The Thunder come into Sunday’s matchup on a 14-game winning streak. Another victory would tie the longest winning streak in franchise history.
The game is the second meeting of the season between the teams, both in Salt Lake City.
Oklahoma City won the first meeting 144-112 on Nov. 21 after falling behind by 18 in the first quarter.
Utah could use a hot start Sunday after being outscored 70-33 in the first quarter over its last two games.
In Friday’s 146-112 loss at the Knicks, the Jazz fell behind 23-0 early, missing their first 12 shots.
In the earlier meeting with the Thunder, Oklahoma City turned defense into offense.
“You can’t have 28 turnovers for 44 points in an NBA game and win. It just doesn’t work.” Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the November meeting.
The Thunder lead the league with 24.5 points off turnovers per game, while the Jazz are in the bottom five in the league, allowing 20.7 points off turnovers.
Keyonte George led the Jazz with 20 points in the first meeting with the Thunder and is averaging 25 points over three games since going scoreless in the Nov. 30 loss to the Rockets.
Hardy hopes his team can take lessons from the Thunder.
“You can just see the attention to detail that their team has and each individual has throughout the game,” Hardy said. “Everybody kind of understands how they fit together, what their role is.”
