Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who delivered massively in the West finals, were virtually absent in the Thunder’s loss to the Pacers in the NBA Finals opener.

Any doubts about the Thunder entering the playoffs seemed to have been wiped away before the NBA Finals tipped off. Nobody had really questioned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder defense had more than lived up to its fearsome reputation.

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.