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Thunder’s Jalen Williams gets nostalgic prepping for Christmas game vs Spurs
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- Thunder’s Jalen Williams gets nostalgic prepping for Christmas game vs Spurs
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While Jalen Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare for their Christmas Day showdown against All-Star Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs , Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is welcoming a new NBA rivalry . Coming off a heartbreaking 111-109 loss to the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals, Williams discussed the significance of the Thunder playing on Christmas Day for the first time since 2018.
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For Williams, who's in his fourth season with the Thunder, it'll be the first time he's ever played on Christmas Day, he said, per Thunder Wire's Clemente Almanza.
"As a basketball player, I feel like, actually, if you're a sports fan, you grow up watching sports on Christmas. So, to be able to be a part of it is really cool," Williams said. "What time do we play, 1:30? Yeah, we're like the cool game. 1:30, like, presents have already been opened. Everybody's watching the games now. So, I'm really looking forward to that. My family will be out here. So, that's a really cool moment for me.
"I have a lot of memories of different rivals playing on Christmas and trying to hurry up and open gifts to watch the game. It's a very cool moment. We don't take it for granted, and the first one in a long time — it'll be cool."
The Thunder and Spurs will have a tune-up for their Christmas Day showdown on Tuesday.
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Mark Daigneault's 'excited' take on Thunder's Christmas game
Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
In his seventh season as head coach, Thunder's Mark Daigneault is looking forward to Christmas Day . Like Thunder All-Star Jalen Williams , it'll be the first time he's ever coached on the same day as the NBA's slate of games, showcasing the league's elite teams.
Daigneault talked about the significance of the Thunder hosting the Spurs on Christmas Day.
"It's a big day for the NBA, and the guys are excited to play on that slate of games," Daigneault said. "It's one of 82, at the end of the day, but it is an elevated circumstance because of the attention on the game, and the noise around it. Those are good experiences for any team, certainly for us, because that's the kind of noise that you have to be able to cut through in the playoffs, if you're fortunate enough to get there.
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"We learned that over the last couple of years as we've gotten there. So, the more you can condition yourself to being in those circumstances, the better you can handle them," Daigneault concluded.
The Thunder will host the Grizzlies before traveling to face the Spurs on Tuesday.
Related: Chet Holmgren headlines Thunder's injury report vs Grizzlies
Related: Is it time for Thunder to have a conversation about Lu Dort starting?
