Jalen Williams for Finals MVP? Here's how OKC forward could beat SGA with Game 6 win

Jalen Williams continued his hot streak in Thursday's NBA Finals Game 6 with a top show in Q1

Published on: Jun 20, 2025, 06:46:01 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Jalen Williams continued his hot streak in Thursday's NBA Finals Game 6 with a top show in Q1, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder to stay in touching distance of the Indiana Pacers after a poor start. While MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a combined 66 points in Games 4 and 5, Williams has tallied 67 points over the same span, including a 40-point outburst in Game 5. Now the legitimate question stands: Is Jalen Williams going to take home the Finals MVP?

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) is a favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

SGA is an obvious favorite for MVP after winning the title in the regular season. For Jalen Williams, a lot depends on how he performs on Thursday. In Game 6, the 24-year-old has averaged 25.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.2 APG this series. His rise in the last three games has been exceptional.

Meanwhile, SGA is averaging 32.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.4 SPG, and 1.8 BPG. So, it's not like the Canadian star has struggled. The Finals MVP race comes down to how Game 6 and potentially Game 7 play out.

Here is TheScore Bet/ESPN Bet's oddsboard, showing odds before and during the Finals.

Finals MVP odds (current odds and before Finals)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -550 -600

Jalen Williams +650 +4000

Pascal Siakam +1100 +1800

Tyrese Haliburton +5000 +700

Chet Holmgren +20000 +6600

How is NBA Finals MVP determined?

The NBA Finals MVP, awarded the Bill Russell Trophy, is determined by a select panel of media members, not through public voting. As such, fans cannot directly vote for the NBA Finals MVP.

The MVP is chosen by a panel of 11 media members—a mix of national and international journalists, local beat writers, and broadcasters covering the Finals. After the final game of the NBA Finals, each panelist casts a single vote for the player they deem most deserving based on their performance throughout the series.

The player with the highest number of votes wins the award. There is no weighted point system (unlike regular-season MVP voting), and the process ensures no ties, as 11 votes prevent a deadlock.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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