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Jalen Williams scored 33 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder against host Orlando Magic, 127-113 this Wednesday, Philippine time.
Williams went off for 12-of-18 from the floor and scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, after Orlando cut a 17-point deficit down to 10 before the final frame.
This performance was his second-straight 30-point game.
Jalen Williams tonight
— TF (@ThunderFocus) February 14, 2024
33 points
3 assists
2 rebounds
1 steal
12-18 FGA
17 4Q pts
B2B 30 point games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/a2rTxicr2K
The two Thunder young guns became the first duo for OKC with back-to-back 30+ points games since the tandem of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2013.Jalen Williams HYPED after the and-one 🗣?
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2024
He’s up to 33 points with 17 in the 4th quarter 😳pic.twitter.com/6vu70J7rFC
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are the first pair of Thunder teammates with back-to-back 30+ point games since Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant in 2013.
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) February 14, 2024
pic.twitter.com/umKQZGtBrn
Thunder versus the Magic would always be exciting when two of the top two picks in the 2022 draft, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, face off against each other.Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight pic.twitter.com/qqfgOJpkfm
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) February 14, 2024
Holmgren produced 13 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks for the Thunder on the same night that the Magic retired Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 jersey number.
Jalen Williams tonight:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 14, 2024
33 PTS - 2 REB - 3 AST - 66% FG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight:
32 PTS - 3 REB - 5 AST - 2 STL
Chet Holmgren tonight:
13 PTS - 9 REB - 5 BLK - 50% FG pic.twitter.com/42ASq8LoSN
Banchero paced the Magic with 23 points and 10 assists. Wendell Carter Jr. followed with 22 points and six rebounds.
Jalen Suggs drained triples to push Orlando up by 11 but Holmgren, Josh Giddy, and Aaron Wiggins sparked an 11-2 scoring surge that allowed Oklahoma City to have breathing room.
The closest that the Magic got to the Thunder was a dunk by Jonathan Isaac that brought them within eight, 92-84, but Holmgren and Williams prevented any comeback attempt. Eventually, OKC’s lead ballooned to 107-86 with 8:06 left in the game, a separation that Banchero and the Magic couldn’t overcome.
What he said
The Thunder’s win today emphasized how well this young core is doing.
“They say this team is too young, not enough experience to go deep into the Western Conference. What do you have to say to those people?”
“I guess we’ll have to see, huh," Williams said after the game.
“They say this team is too young, not enough experience to go deep into the western conference. What do you have to say to those people?”
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) February 14, 2024
“I guess we’ll have to see huh.”
what. an. answer. pic.twitter.com/NiT5CET7lN
