Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams was already an All-Star after his first appearance this season. But, if there was any debate whether he was a true star in the NBA, he hushed it with a 40-point game in the NBA Finals on Monday night.
Williams had 40 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Thunder's 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5, helping his team take a 3-2 lead in the series and move just one win from the NBA title.
JDUB 40-PIECE IN THE NBA FINALS 🤯🚨
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
Has the @okcthunder on the brink of a 3-2 lead! pic.twitter.com/1YCXGOrNLl
Williams has now scored 25 or more points for his third NBA Finals game in a row, after scoring 26 points in Game 3 and 27 points in Game 4 in addition to his offensive explosion Monday. He became just the fifth player over the past 40 seasons to score 25 or more points in three straight NBA Finals games before the age of 25, joining some pretty elite company in Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.
25+ POINTS IN 3 STRAIGHT GAMES 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
Jalen Williams is just the 5th player over the last 40 seasons to do this in the NBA Finals before the age of 25, joining:
Kyrie Irving (2016)
Kevin Durant (2012)
Dwyane Wade (2006)
Shaquille O'Neal (1995) pic.twitter.com/vANu0UfBo6
He also became one of the five youngest players to score 40 points in a Finals game according to ESPN's Zach Kram.
Williams has a chance to continue his hot stretch in Game 6, as the Thunder look to clinch the title at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
More NBA Finals on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jalen Williams Joins Elite Company With Star-Making Game 5 Performance.
