Photo credit: Total Pro Sports
Jalen Williams on Why He 'Barked' at Valanciunas's Yell
In a tight 94-92 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in their playoff opener on Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander score 28 points. However, it was Jalen Williams' barking antics that captured the spotlight after the game.
''(Jonas Valanciunas) yelled in my face, and he picked me up off the floor,'' Williams said, via ClutchPoints. ''I just barked, I don't know. It was good energy the whole time. I thought that was pretty cool, I got to bark with the fans, they barked back. It's just competitive juices going It wasn't anything like mean. It was just more like, both going at it. But like I said, it's kind of hard to recover. He picked me up off my feet so I didn't really have like a great response other than to bark.''
If barking proves effective, the Thunder are willing to keep it up, backed by fan enthusiasm for the celebration. During a post-game interview with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, his Thunder teammates could be heard barking in support around him.
In Sunday's narrow 94-92 win over the Pelicans in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Jalen Williams scored 19 points, shooting 8-18 from the field, 1-5 from three, and 2-3 at the free throw line. He also contributed seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals over 40 minutes. Although Williams had a tough time from three-point range, he otherwise put up a strong showing, marking his highest scoring game since netting 33 points against the Knicks on March 31, before a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. His performance is crucial as he is expected to be a key component in the Thunder's offensive strategy for Wednesday's Game 2.
Source CBS Sports : Thunder's Jalen Williams: Solid output in Game 1 victory
Source Clutchpoints : Why Thunder's Jalen Williams was barking all Game 1 vs. Pelicans
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