Despite being one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder proved that their hot start was no fluke. On Wednesday night, they showed their potential by beating the New York Knicks 129-120 behind a combined 72 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

Williams ignited the Thunder in the decisive fourth quarter, scoring 17 points and setting up a late surge to seal the win. It all came down to open shots and one-on-ones,” Williams explained. His strong duo with Chet Holmgren created scoring opportunities for both and propelled the Thunder offense.

While Julius Randle (25 points) and Jalen Brunson (24) contributed solid numbers for the Knicks, they never held a lead after the opening minutes. Holmgren contributed 22 points to round out the Thunder’s balanced scoring.

While the Thunder’s young players still have inconsistent flashes on this big stage, this young Thunder team has undeniable talent and potential. With further improvement in shooting ability and depth in the lineup, they seem to be on track to become a dominant force in the league in a few years. For now, however, this Thunder team has shown impressive strength.