Jalen Williams is OUT again with left hamstring “tightness”
This likely means he aggravated it which would put his status in jeopardy for the series
Getty
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 23: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Paycom Center on January 23, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Jalen Williams only played in the first quarter of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals after hurting his left hamstring late in the opening period.
Williams headed to the locker room immediately after the quarter and was ruled out of the game by halftime. It was the same injury he had during Game 2 of the first round, which put him out of action until the Western Conference Finals.
On X, physical therapy doctor and NBA injury insider Evan Jeffries revealed massive bad news for the Thunder for the rest of the series.
According to Jeffries, Williams’ injury could put him in jeopardy for the rest of the conference finals.
“Jalen Williams is OUT again with left hamstring “tightness” This likely means he aggravated it which would put his status in jeopardy for the series,” he wrote during Game 2.
Jalen Williams is OUT again with left hamstring “tightness”
This likely means he aggravated it which would put his status in jeopardy for the series
Williams started the game but only logged seven minutes on the court. He finished with four points, one rebound, and two steals.
Williams has been used as a perimeter player defender for Victor Wembanyama in Game 1, helping the likes of Alex Caruso, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein in containing the Spurs superstar.
Nevertheless, the Thunder tied the series at 1-1 after dispatching the Spurs in Game 2, 122-113, in OKC’s first win against the Spurs since February.
The Thunder has shown that they can survive games even without Jalen Williams on the floor.
In Game 2, they leaned on the production of three guards off the bench, such as Jared McCain and Cason Wallace, who both had 12 points, and Ajay Mitchell, who chipped in 10 points.
It was the same case in the second round against the LA Lakers, when the Thunder inserted Ajay Mitchell in the starting lineup, and he averaged 22.1 points per game throughout the series. The Thunder swept the Lakers.
However, Mitchell went down late in Game 2 with what seemed to be a hamstring injury. His availability for the next game remains uncertain.
It remains to be seen how the Thunder will adjust their rotations to negate the loss of Jalen Williams.
It is another injury setback for Williams, who has suffered multiple strains on his right hamstring this season, and started the year recovering from a wrist injury.
For now, the only clear Thunder star for Game 3 will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who broke out with 30 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field to lead OKC in the series-tying win.
GettyVictor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game 1 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder will now head to San Antonio to face the Spurs once more for Games 3 and 4.
The Spurs have only lost once on their home floor in the playoffs, and they are expected to amp up their production in front of their home crowd.
Meanwhile, the Thunder has been undefeated in road games in the playoffs. However, it is notable that OKC’s closest wins in the first two rounds happened in front of the opposing team’s crowd.
Game 3 will be on Friday, May 22.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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