Aaron Wiggins, Okc Thunder Beat Blazers, Minus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

There were showers from flimsy paper Gatorade Cups, and towels threw on wide shoulders as the game’s worthy player tried to take a postgame interview seriously.

Oklahoma City’s usual guilty was in street clothes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen WilliamsAt Chet Holmgren – They did dowsing and trolling. They flowed after Jaylin Williams “When Real Jaylin Williams,” Jalen said on Friday- lifted the thunder to an unlikely victory.

OKC’s 107-89 win came without any of its top-six rotation players, sideways with a list of injuries after an eight-game, 13-day stretch. It came against a Portland team that had won five of its last seven matches and was 15-7 since January 19. The system beat Blazers Friday night. The institution held it down.

“It was a fantastic program gain for us,” said coach Mark Daigneeault. “It’s one that we can really be proud of as a complete program because it’s a reflection of having the right guys – these guys can all play openly – but also have a system in place where they can keep themselves confident and sharp as their role increases.”

The real guys were Williams, who were released by OKC’s would be starters as he held the game ball, and Aaron Wiggins, who led all scorers by 30 points.

With only nine active players, violation often ran through these two. Williams was the playmaking hub he tends to be, just with much more volume. Wiggins have broken out since the beginning of February and entered Friday an average of 17.8 and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 53.5% and 47.9% from 3 on six trials per year. Match.

With the words of the deceased Store Kobe Bryant demanded Friday more.

More shooting attempts, more shooting, more hard finish. Wiggins did not blink and fell 30 on 13-of-26 shooting with a candidate for all-defense candidate Toumani Camara who defended him.

Williams’ last tip-in gave him his first career-triplet-double (the ninth Thunder player to place one) and made him one of six OKC players in double characters.

Save to the individual score, Friday’s box score read as one from a fully healthy Thunder team.

It forced 17 revenue (and had 12 steals) in line with what is done all season. It kept Portland for 34.7% shooting from the field and 18.6% (8 for 43) from deep.

With so many players resting after a crazy stretch — a back-to-back with the West’s third seed Denver nuggets There is also a wait for the weekend – the brand was preserved by those who remained standing.

Maybe even strengthened it.

The Thunder bench was excited by the bucket. One by one they leaned back, where one leg hovered over hardwood, arms attached to a fadeaway.

They just wanted to be like Jaylin Williams.

He spoke 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, a fixed triple double. Among his buckets, a fadeaway in the fourth quarter of the shooting clock had subsided and OKC ahead with eight, leaving his teammates on their feet and with follow -ups hanging in the air.

In a season, and especially this week, his teammates have called him to shoot. He and Wiggins spent Thursday playing video games online together, aware that OKC would be down on bodies. Wiggins’ messages were the same as Gilgeous-Alexander’s has been this year.

“He was like” Jwill, be sure to shoot the ball, “recalls Williams. “I just went out there trying to be myself.”

Williams knew he had a chance for a triple double. The first time he subbed out, Holmgren or Isaiah shouted Hartenstein (he couldn’t remember) “Triple-double Watch” on him.

“I said on the bench, I was like,” I want to get a double double with rebounds and assists, “Williams said. “And everyone said to me,” Jwill, you have to shoot the ball. ”

Still, he didn’t exactly press it. He claims that he was over -thinking, even in short moments, which he does as a first a first big one. In order for the thunder to remain fluid, he had to be the hub he was.

He flipped passports to protect Isaiah Joe (16 points, six assists) as their high school days. He helped Wiggins turn the corner. He played solid defense and boxed out with the big of them. He was a plus-35.

His last goal made him the teammate he hoped to be: He shot the ball. Seven times on it.

He was rewarded with the game ball and with his teammates who mimic him one evening.

“I saw them grab water and I tried to shout at them as” please don’t do it, “Williams said. “And (Wiggins) was like, ‘Jwill, you’re the most important thing that does it against everyone else. Let’s celebrate you. ” ‘

Joel Lorenzi covers Thunder and NBA for Oklahoman. Do you have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jxlorenzi. Support Joel’s work and other Oklahoman -Journalists by buying a Digital Subscription Today at subsonction.oklahoman.com.

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