"Didn't really have like a great response": Jalen Williams reveals comical reason behind barking in Jonas Valanciunas' face
Jalen Williams was involved in a fiery moment during the OKC Thunder’s Game 1 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. In what was a close game that finished 94-92 in favor of what is the youngest team in NBA playoffs history, Jalen Williams played his part with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
However, the moment that stood out most occurred in the third quarter, when Jonas Valancuinas bizarrely manhandled and lifted Williams off the ground when trying to steal possession. The home crowd erupted in fury as Valancuinas screamed into the air. Jalen Williams, on the other hand, walked a few steps before barking at the fans.
Williams explained his response after the game, claiming that he did not know how to respond other than to bark at the fans:
“He yelled in my face, and he picked me up off the floor, so I just barked, I don’t know. It’s good energy all the time. You get to bark with the fans, they bark back, just competitive juices going. That’s kind of playoff basketball. It wasn’t like anything mean. It was more like both going at it. But, like, as I said, you know, I didn’t have a great response other than to bark."
Of course, they have reason to be optimistic. After finishing 10th in the Western Conference last season and crashing out in the Play-in tournament, they emerged as the Number 1 seed this time around and are looking strong for the postseason.
Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the charge for OKC Thunder
The Thunder has plenty of scares along the way, which is understandable, considering the lack of playoff experience in the team. The first two quarters finished points apiece, as Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 19 points in the third to help their team to a six-point lead.
However, that vanished in the fourth quarter when the Thunder went more than five minutes without a field goal, as the Pelicans managed a 90-88 lead. However, that was when Gilgeous-Alexander took charge and scored two mid-rangers to help his team to a three-point lead with around 30 seconds remaining. The 25-year-old finished with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists.
“I set a screen on the ball, and they switched on Dub (Williams). And then I just caught the ball at the elbow and just tried to be aggressive and make a play that I’ve made before.”
What stood out was that the Thunder found enough to get the win in the end despite being hassled and harried throughout the game. The Pelicans saw Jonas Valancuinas finish with 13 points and 20 rebounds, while Trey Murphy III top-scored with 21 points and CJ McCollum added a further 20.
McCollum could have gotten the winner in the end but missed a difficult through-the-traffic three-pointer that allowed OKC to maintain a two-point lead.