Even during a special night that saw him set a new career playoff-high in points (38) and become the third OKC Thunder player to receive the league MVP award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't help but redirect attention and praise toward his respective teammates.
Following Oklahoma City's commanding 118-103 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, the point guard was seen gushing over his co-star Jalen Williams for his performance on the night, proudly noting that, in his eyes, it's a clear sign that he's now "coming into his own."
"Stepping into his own, being confident, making big-time plays. [The Timberwolves] were cutting back into the lead, and they had a fast break. He got a steal and then an and-one. That was a huge play for the last couple of minutes... I knew this would happen. He's a great player, he works hard, does the right things, and when you do that, good things happen for you," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Williams.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hypes up Thunder co-star following Game 2
Good things seemed to be happening for J-Dub and, as a result, the Thunder as a whole all night during their Game 2 showdown, as the All-Star put forth one of his most complete performances of the 2025 postseason.
In just under 39 minutes played, Williams logged 26 points (second-best on the team), 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal on 60.0 percent shooting from the field.
As mentioned by SGA, he would also play an integral role in halting Minnesota's late fourth-quarter momentum that saw them chipping away at the lead, putting an end to their 8-2 run from the 5:51 mark to the 4:07 mark by laying in a missed dunk by Chet Holmgren for an and-one, extending the lead to 107-94.
After a rather up-and-down semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets, many questions were raised about Williams' ability to step up in high-pressure situations and serve as a trusted number two option alongside Gilgeous-Alexander on this title-hopeful Thunder team.
Two games into the Western Conference Finals, however, it appears that the 24-year-old is actively putting an end to these particular worries, as he's currently averaging 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 steals while shooting a highly efficient 50.0 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from deep.
As a result, it should come as no surprise that the Thunder now find themselves up 2-0 in this best-of-seven series and, in turn, just two wins away from advancing to their first NBA Finals berth since 2012.
Jalen Williams has been so important to this team's success thus far in round three that even on a day devoted to SGA (Oklahoma City's Mayor literally declared May 22 as Shai Day), the superstar seemingly felt the need to shout out his efforts.
How's that for silencing the naysayers?