If the Thunder even the series 1-1, Williams will likely play a big part. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort did enough to secure a Game 1 win, but the rest of the starters struggled. For the 24-year-old, that was 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.

The Oklahoma City Thunder finds itself trailing the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals after a clutch-time Game 1 thriller on Thursday night. All-NBA forward Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City a game-high 15-point lead with a breakaway dunk early in the fourth quarter — but scored 11 points on his other 18 shots from the floor.

They have carved out huge roles on our team — they are a huge reason why we're here,” Daigneault said. “They are in an uncommon position."