Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s MVP candidate, is an All-Star lock. Williams — who is second on the team in points and assists, third in rebounds and is a versatile cog in their top-ranked and historically disruptive defense — is their only other true candidate. That might be Williams’ simplest case.

So Williams’ 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting mattered, more specifically his fourth-quarter rampage. But his effort, uncommon for a young player fresh off the unrecognizable performance he’d had in Orlando, pushed OKC over the top.