The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jaylin Williams might not get the attention that his teammate Jalen Williams receives.
But the third-year interior presence has opened some eyes of late with two triple-doubles over his last six games. He’ll look to continue his run of good fortune heading into Friday’s game against the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
Jaylin Williams is coming off the best game of his career, a 19-point, 17-rebound. 11-assist performance in Oklahoma City’s 133-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
That win came with a severely depleted lineup without such players as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, opening the door for more opportunities for Jaylin Williams.
But in the last 13 games of the season, Jaylin Williams is looking to solidify a spot in the postseason rotation for the Thunder.
Over his last six games, Williams is averaging 7.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in nearly 21 minutes per game.
“I play with some really great players that are going to get me a lot of open looks,” Williams said. “When I get those open looks, I want to hit them, so that was one of my emphasizes this summer.”
After a slow start from beyond the arc, Williams is shooting better than 40 percent on 3-pointers during his recent streak.
He credited Thunder coach Mark Daigneault for building his confidence.
Jaylin Williams missed the season’s first 27 games with a hamstring injury.
As he got ready to check in for the first time this season, Jaylin Williams looked at Daigneault and told him he was a bit nervous.
“Shoot the first one you get,” Daigneault told him.
“That just kind of shows the kind of coach Mark is,” he said. “When you get that confidence from your head coach, it’s the best thing in the world.”
The Thunder (57-12) will have some more help Friday, though, as Gilgeous-Alexander and Hartenstein are expected to play.
Dort (right hip impingement) and Jalen Williams (right hip strain) remain out.
Oklahoma City comes into the contest on a four-game winning streak and has won 11 of its last 12.
The Thunder are 25-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season.
Charlotte won for the fourth time in its last seven games Thursday night, beating the Knicks 115-98 at home behind 25 points and eight assists from LaMelo Ball.
Hornets coach Charles Lee’s sentiment about working to turn the team around sounded similar to much of what Daigneault said as the Thunder were going through the rebuilding process.
“I think that the process is the most important part, and sustaining that process,” Lee said. “If there’s a good process and a bad result. I can sleep kind of easy on that front. It’s when you have bad process-bad result, those are the ones that really eat at you.”
Ball hasn’t played both ends of a back-to-back since November,
The Hornets (18-51) are just 3-9 this season on the back end of a back-to-back.
–Field Level Media
