Jalen Williams made NBA history during the Finals—but not in the way any player dreams of. In a shocking statistical anomaly, the Oklahoma City Thunder forward registered a minus-40 in plus-minus during Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the worst single-game figure in the history of the championship series. The number quickly became a trending topic across social media platforms, drawing both scrutiny and sympathy for the rising star.
Plus-minus, a stat that measures the point differential when a player is on the court, can often be misleading without context. However, a minus-40 is staggering by any standard, especially in the NBA Finals where every possession is magnified. The Thunder were thoroughly outplayed during that stretch, and unfortunately for Williams, he was on the floor for most of it.
The game itself spiraled out of control early for Oklahoma City. They fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and never recovered. Despite an effort to
