The Oklahoma City Thunder have been quite the story this season.
While the team finished as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, it has done so much more dominantly this season.
At 61-12, the Thunder have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West.
Jalen Williams has been a huge part of the team’s success this season.
He’s averaging a career high across the board in points, rebounds and assists.
Former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Josh Giddey has been revitalized recently in Chicago. The Thunder traded him as part of the deal for Alex Caruso prior to the season’s start.
Over the last 13 games, Giddey has looked like a franchise-altering player. In that span, he’s averaging 22.8 points per game with 10.5 rebounds and 9.2 assists. But what he did against the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday evening might top all of that.
After the Bulls scored six points in six seconds, Lakers forward Austin Reaves hit a layup to go ahead by one with 3.3 seconds left. Giddey inbounded the ball, got it back at his own foul line and heaved a shot from beyond halfcourt to beat the buzzer and secure the win.
Giddey’s former teammate Williams was quite impressed.
“He’s playing extremely well,” Williams said. “Anytime one of our brothers leaves and plays well, we support them. I’m super happy for him that he’s figuring it out. He’s back to what he usually does. It’s a pretty cool moment.”
The Thunder host the Bulls on Monday, and Williams is excited for the matchup.
It’s always fun playing against Gid,” Williams said. “Whenever we’re playing against a former teammate, you try really hard to not make it a ‘you vs him.’ You try to make it about the team you’re playing and not the person.
“It’s always good to see familiar faces. You don’t know when the next time is you’ll see somebody. You try not to take those moments for granted.”
When it comes to former teammates, Williams says he stays in contact with them.
We text a good amount,” Williams said. “I texted Gid last night. I’m pretty positive a lot of the former teammates, if I hit ’em, they always end up texting me back.
With Giddey set to return to Oklahoma City for the first time since the trade, especially on the run he’s on, it will surely be a fun game for him and his former teammates.
The Chicago Bulls are battling for seeding in the NBA Play-In Tournament. They’re currently 33-40 and the No. 9 seed, 1.5 games behind the Orlando Magic and one game up on the Miami Heat.
