Thunder star Jalen Williams confirms he's healthy entering Western Conference finals after missing six games with a hamstring injury.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams stated he is fully healthy ahead of the Western Conference finals, despite missing the last six games due to a Grade 1 strain in his left hamstring. Williams shared his update in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel on Friday, noting he has not felt rushed to return.
He explained that with a 3-0 series lead over the Lakers, there was no need to risk further injury before facing the Timberwolves or Spurs. 'It's good that I haven't had to rush back from my hamstring stuff at all,' Williams said. 'I'm actually taking like extra days now than from what was originally planned because we were up 3-0 [over the Lakers], so there was no point in going into this series and possibly hurting myself before we play the Timberwolves or the Spurs. I'm about to go into another series healthy.'
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault mentioned after Friday’s practice that Williams is 'progressing,' though he chose not to provide additional details. Williams participated fully in the practice session, wearing full gear.
The team is not obligated to update his status until the night before the series opener, meaning further clarity on his availability may come closer to gametime.
Williams, named to the All-NBA Third Team last season, played a key role in Oklahoma City’s championship run despite undergoing offseason surgery on a right wrist injury.
His regular season was heavily impacted by injuries, as he played just 33 games. The forward missed the first 19 games recovering from wrist surgery, then faced two extended absences due to a right hamstring strain that was aggravated shortly after returning around the All-Star break.
He returned to action and starred in the playoffs before re-injuring his left hamstring during the third quarter of Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns.
Williams delivered strong playoff debuts, scoring 22 points with seven rebounds and six assists in the opener. In Game 2, he contributed 19 points and four assists in just 23 minutes before exiting with the hamstring issue.
Ajay Mitchell filled Williams’ role in the starting lineup during his absence and led the Thunder to a four-game sweep of the Lakers, averaging 22.5 points and 6.0 assists per game.
'I'm never worried about the team,' Williams told a media outlet after the Game 3 win in Los Angeles. 'My worry always comes from making sure that I'm able to get myself to a point where I can help the team when I'm sitting out for that long. But we have a good team so it's like no real rush to get back, if that makes sense. I don't have to push certain buttons or do what I did last year [with his wrist] to get my hamstrings right. So that's the nice part about it. But I want to play.'