Jaylen Williams reveals the biggest factor behind the latest winning streak

After Oklahoma City Thunder head Coach Mark Daigneault praised his leaders for making adjustments to defensive tackles in a 111-91 win against the Houston Rockets, All-Star Jalen Williams revealed his team’s mindset amid two impressive wins. The Thunder defeated the second- and third-best teams in the Western Conference standings in the San Antonio Spurs and Rockets in a blowout fashion.

The Thunder reminded the league in its dominance that the defending champion still reigns supreme in the NBA. After the win, Williams open about what has changed in Grom’s approach.

“We’ve been a lot (healthier) except for (Isaiah Hartenstein), who’s big. So everybody likes to settle into a role a little bit more. Guys, know the minutes we’re going to get. I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable,” Williams said. “I don’t know if that’s such a good word, because we were (24-1). So it was like something was going for us there. I think just towards the end of it, going in expecting to win instead of earning a win, the way Mark (Deno) talks.

“I think that’s been our big thing. And that’s just how we go about our process of winning games and winning to our standards, playing hard the whole game, moving the ball, getting out in transition, spacing; all those things that we’ve been kind of abandoning. And we’ve been winning on talent. Now, the last few games, we’ve been able to win in how we’ve won it.

The Thunder are on a five-game winning streak.

Jalen Williams on SGA’s confidence in Thunder teammates

After the Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander provided All-Star support Chet Holmgren, who is having a breakout season. However, for Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams, it was time to give Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers for having so much faith in his teammates.

Williams believes that contributed to the Thunder’s championship victory last season, and is a big reason why the defending champions are on pace to compete for another title in 2026.

“I think Shai had to believe in us in really big moments, which is like hats off to him, and we were able to win the championship because he did that,” Williams said. “So I think it gives him a lot more confidence to trust us now. It’s just one of those skills that you need now that you can’t try to get in April, May and June, when you really need it. So the more we can build that and see these coverages, and play it that way, I think it makes it harder for teams to adjust to us because we really know what we need to do.”

The next stop on the Thunder’s road is against the Heat on Saturday.