The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to do what hasn’t been done in nearly a decade in the NBA: win back-to-back titles.
Although their path to the NBA Finals will be difficult, as they are almost guaranteed to have to face two of the Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Spurs in the next two rounds, they have proven themselves a capable team very much worthy of creating the next NBA dynasty.
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However, their road to the championship was just made a whole lot tougher.
Star guard-forward Jalen Williams was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain following the team’s Game 2 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, April 22.
Williams exited during the third quarter after grabbing his left hamstring following a layup attempt and did not return. The 2025 NBA All-Star had scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 23 minutes when he exited the game.
Williams has proven himself an invaluable asset to this Thunder squad and an extended absence could be devastating to the Thunder’s championship hopes.
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Jalen Williams evaluation
Williams will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. According to The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, a Grade 1 hamstring strain is a mild strain with very little torn muscle. The injury usually has a recovery timeline of 1-2 weeks, which would keep Williams sidelined for at least Games 3-5 of the first round.
This injury is rather concerning for Williams considering that Williams already missed 49 games this season due to a hamstring strain in his right leg.
Williams has also suffered other injuries since last year’s NBA Finals victory, undergoing wrist surgery soon after the championship, which forced him to miss the start of the regular season.
Jalen Williams stats
Jalen Williams averaged 17.1 points and 5.5 assists per game this season, a major reason the team boasted the best record in the NBA this season. Williams recorded 22 points and seven rebounds in Oklahoma City‘s Game 1 win.
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Thunder vs. Suns playoff schedule
Thunder lead series 2-0
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Game 3 at Phoenix: Saturday, April 25 at 3:30 p.m. | NBC, Peacock
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Game 4 at Phoenix: Monday, April 27 | Time and TV TBD
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*Game 5 at Oklahoma City: Wednesday, April 29 | Time and TV TBD
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*Game 6 at Phoenix: Friday, May 1 | Time and TV TBD
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*Game 7 at Oklahoma City: Sunday, May 3 | Time and TV TBD
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Williams hamstring injury: Thunder star week-to-week in playoffs
