The OKC Thunder were once again able to get the better of the Dallas Mavericks. While the latter had a good lead in the first half, the combined offensive efforts of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Jalen Williams, and others secured the win for OKC by a score of 100-96. However, there seemed to be a missed call during the game that would have had a major effect on the outcome. Draymond Green was spontaneous to highlight it.

After stealing the ball from a rival player, Williams proceeded to make a layup. However, before getting to the hoop, doubts were raised by many about whether he may have committed a double dribble. Dray added fuel to the speculations by writing “L2M tomorrow!”. According to reports, the video replays showed Jalen Williams supposedly losing control of the ball and double-dribbling it in the process of retaining control. This action did not go unnoticed, as analyst Grant Hill also hinted at the same whilst on air.

Unfortunately, the same action was not undertaken by the on-court referees, as no whistle was sounded out. If the foul had been called, then OKC wouldn’t have gotten the 94-91 lead. Instead, the possession would have been returned to the Mavericks, who in turn, would have used it to establish their own lead. After the speculation on the No Foul Call started to gain traction, a response from the referees became warranted. In the aftermath of the matchup, ‘The Athletic’ reporter Tim Cato got the opportunity to question NBA official Zach Zarba.

When asked if Jalen Williams should have been called for a double dribble on his driving dunk, Zarba replied, “The answer is no. We felt Williams never gained control of that basketball. Therefore, he’s allowed to initiate a dribble after he secures it. Post-game video review confirmed our on-court ruling.” His response was recorded in the official pool report about the incident.

How did Jalen Williams perform during Game 4 of the OKC-Mavericks clash?

Jalen Williams’ performance during the recent matchup was less consistent than the ones he had delivered in the last few games. He ended his 41 minutes on the court by securing a score of 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists to his name. It is the lowest he has made since the last 7 games, despite playing for more minutes.

A major reason for Willams poor performance was a sudden drop in his shooting abilities. The player went 5-19 with his field goals and 0-2 with his free throws. For someone who had been averaging a field goal percentage of 52.9% during the first round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Pelicans, a fall to 26.9% does not bode well. Fortunately, his tracks were successfully covered by Luguentz Dort and Chet Holmgren, who added 17 and 18 points, respectively. Furthermore, the team’s lead scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, came out on top with 34 points. All of these efforts, combined with Jalen Williams’ memorable dunk, brought the OKC neck to neck with a 2-2 score.

Jalen Williams and Co need just two more wins to enter the Conference Finals for the first time since 2016. However, the Mavericks also need the same number of wins. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Jalen will step up during the upcoming matchups or not.