Down 21, the shorthanded Thunder mounted an improbable comeback. Kenrich Williams ignited the furious rally with grit, heart, and clutch plays.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams were all ruled out well before tipoff, so nobody could blame Oklahoma City for losing to Memphis. It’s understandable to shrug off a loss in which a team is missing its superstar scorer, top three centers and best perimeter defender.
The Thunder predictably struggled and found themselves trailing by 21 points with eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. But then something happened. Oklahoma City tapped into its championship DNA and grinded the lead down one basket at a time across the next 20 minutes. Alex Caruso poetically sealed the miraculous comeback by blocking Cedric Coward’s game-winning shot attempt.
The entire team deserves a ton of credit for the win. Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell carried the offense and combined for 49 points and 16 assists. Aaron Wiggins chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds. Luguentz Dort and Alex Caruso kept the defense afloat.
But Kenrich Williams gets the Thunder Roundtable game ball. This honor is not because of his stats despite him producing 21 points, eight rebounds, two steals and some clutch three-point shots. Rather, Kenny Hustle’s grit and heart were on full display and galvanized Oklahoma City.
He boxed out. He played physical basketball. He made the right plays. And he did so while largely playing out of position at small-ball center because Branden Carlson was the sole active center for the Thunder.
As expected, Williams praised his teammates following the comeback. Here is what Williams had to say in his post-game interview: “I don’t think that was a pretty game at all. We got outrebounded for sure. They hit a bunch of shots. I don’t think we hit that many shots early on. Down 20. Just finding ways like scrapping. No matter the situation or whatever was going on we just took it one possession at a time. Just a gutsy win. Big shoutout to everyone who played tonight.”
Williams has been with Oklahoma City since Nov. 2020 and played a massive role in shaping the team’s current culture. His minutes will not be consistent once everyone is healthy, but he once again proved that he can step up at a moment’s notice and deliver. Even if he’s not playing much, his leadership will once again be massive for the Thunder, especially during the playoffs. Overall, it’s clear to see why Williams is a fan favorite.