The Oklahoma City Thunder are at home on Thursday night as they host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Oklahoma City was able to use a dominant second half in Game 1 on Tuesday night to claim the victory, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
They will now look to use their home court to their advantage once again in Game 2 on Thursday as they try to take a commanding 2-0 series lead before the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Jalen Williams (8)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and forward Jalen Williams (8)
© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
While the Thunder are preparing for Game 2 on Thursday night, their star forward Jalen Williams received positive news on Thursday afternoon.
The NBA announced that Williams has been named to the 2024-25 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Williams is joined by Toumani Camara, Rudy Gober, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ivica Zubac on the second team while his teammate Lu Dort was named to the first team.
This is a massive accomplishment for Williams as the Thunder continue to see their key players win awards.
Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the MVP on Wednesday night and now two more of their players have been awarded after their incredible seasons.
This was well-deserved for Williams as he put together the best season of his young NBA career, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
While many will look at Williams’ improvement on the offensive side with him averaging a career-high 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, he also averaged a career-high 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
Williams was a key piece to why the Thunder led the NBA in almost every defensive statistical category as he played a major role on the defensive side of the ball while also improving offensively.
Now Williams and the Thunder will look to take a commanding lead in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday night as they try to inch one step closer to an NBA Finals berth.