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Ajay Mitchell of the Oklahoma City Thunder during an NBA game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been dealing with injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Thunder have officially ruled out Mitchell for Game 5 on Tuesday at the Paycom Center. Mitchell continues to deal with a strained right soleus muscle. He will miss his second consecutive game, though he has been playing through the injury in the playoffs.
Mitchell has been a revelation for the Thunder this season, especially with Williams being limited to 33 games due to multiple hamstring injuries. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in the regular season.
In the playoffs, Mitchell has been even better. He’s putting up 15.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was the Thunder’s breakout star in the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 22.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals in four games.
GettyAjay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on January 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
Before getting ruled out for Game 5, ESPN’s Shams Charania shared an update on Ajay Mitchell’s recovery from a right soleus strain. Charania revealed that Mitchell is also dealing with a right calf strain, so it’s a tough blow for the player and the defending NBA champs.
“Ajay Mitchell, on the other hand, has been dealing with calf tightness throughout the playoffs,” Charania said. “And then he was diagnosed over the weekend with a right calf strain.”
Charania added, “We know the Oklahoma City Thunder organization always looks at the long-term approach. If you think about the soft tissue injuries of the hamstring as well as the calf, typically these are not just day-by-day injuries.”
With Mitchell out, the Thunder will have to rely more on Jared McCain to bring the heat off the bench. Maybe Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins could get it going after being out of the rotation for the majority of the postseason.
GettyShai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder is fouled on a layup attempt by Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the game at Frost Bank Center on December 23, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
The series between the Thunder and Spurs has been a barn burner, with both teams dealing with injuries. Victor Wembanyama is hell-bent on taking the Spurs back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
On the other hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is trying to lead the Thunder to back-to-back NBA championships to pair with his back-to-back NBA MVPs. SGA is under immense scrutiny due to the perception that he’s trying to draw fouls rather than try to score.
It has turned the him and the Thunder into villains outside of Oklahoma City. The defending NBA champions appeared unbothered by the notion, but the Spurs are coming for them.
The Spurs dominated them in the regular season, winning four of their five matchups. They have won two of four in the playoffs, though Game 2 could have gone their way as well.
Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday, with tip-off set at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He's currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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