The Oklahoma City Thunder were back to full strength at the start of the Western Conference Finals, with guard Jalen Williams back in the fold after suffering a hamstring injury that cost him the entire second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Williams downplayed the injury ahead of Game 1 against the Spurs, telling reporters that he would have had a chance to play against the Lakers but his team’s success allowed him to rest up and get back to full strength.
Early in Game 2, however, Williams went back to the locker room and didn’t play at all in the second quarter.
Here’s what you need to know about Williams’ injury and his status going forward.
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Jalen Williams injury updates
Williams only played seven minutes before heading to bench and then evidently going back to the locker room. He did not enter the game at any point in the second quarter.
It isn’t clear whether Williams is dealing with an aggravation of his hamstring injury. The Thunder haven’t yet provided an update on the fourth-year standout, but his absence in the first half went beyond just a normal Oklahoma City gameplan.
OKC’s Jalen Williams hasn’t played since the first quarter and is not on the Thunder bench. No official update yet.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 21, 2026
While on the sideline, reporters observed Williams getting treatment done on his left hamstring, the same one he injured earlier in the postseason.
Jalen Williams was getting treatment on his left hamstring after exiting. That’s the hamstring he strained in Game 2 of the first round, causing him to miss six games before coming back for the West finals opener. https://t.co/lAzbnqpr0f
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 21, 2026
Williams played 37 minutes in his return from the injury in Game 1, 26 days after he first went down against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 26 points in the loss, handling a hefty workload with 25 shot attempts.
The Thunder are as deep as any team in the NBA, but any setback for Williams would be a significant blow with Oklahoma City trying to battle back from an early series deficit.