Thunder will have to find an answer to whether they can win without using their most dynamic player. Yankee Scores analyzes injury clips, ‘hypothetical’ return dates, and the upcoming Game 3 clash in the desert.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams had to be helped off the court after sustaining what appeared to be a hamstring injury during Wednesday night’s 120-107 victory against the Phoenix Suns.
Thunder’s Worst Nightmare?
Williams could be seen grabbing at his left hamstring after failing to convert on a layup attempt while taking part in a quick break with 6:26 left in the third quarter.
“We think he aggravated his left hamstring,” head coach Mark Daigneault said. “We’ll take a look at it in the next couple of days, and we’ll update you guys appropriately.”
Williams muffled some words, “Left hammy.” He intentionally took a foul a couple of possessions later so he could exit the game and promptly he left for the locker room for medical assessment.
Williams did not speak to the media before leaving the Paycom Center.
The Impact on OKC’s Offense
Williams’ postseason was off to a spectacular start after injuries limited him to only 33 games during the regular season. He had 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Thunder’s Game 1 blowout win and followed that up with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and four assists in 23 minutes in Game 2.
“Any assumption about time [missed] is just hypothetical at this point, so I’m not going to comment on that,” Daigneault said. “But I thought he was playing great obviously. He was on the gas. He had great force. He was hitting shots. Got really good shots for his teammates, especially early. So yeah, he was playing an outstanding game.”
Injury History
Williams, a third-team All-NBA selection last season, played the entire playoffs last year with a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, delaying an operation until after Oklahoma City’s championship run. He missed the first 19 games of the season while recovering from that surgery and twice missed extended stretches due to a right hamstring strain that he aggravated during a 28-point, 11-of-12 shooting performance in a Feb. 11 win over the Suns.
The Thunder took a 2-0 lead in the first-round series, with Game 3 on Saturday in Phoenix.
