Thunder Trouble: Mark Daigneault Confirms Jalen Williams’ Injury, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tweaks Hand in Awkward Fall

Credits: Imagn ©Credits: Imagn

Going into the final quarter and the Phoenix Suns rapidly catching up to the 10-point gap, the last thing the defending champions want is to lose their core stars. But Game 2 showed signs of a rollercoaster and anxiety from the first quarter. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 120–107 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night provided a commanding 2–0 series lead, but the celebration inside the Paycom Center was muted by a growing list of medical concerns. While the Thunder’s depth and elite shot-making carried them to a double-digit win, the availability of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams for the upcoming trip to Arizona is now the biggest concern after this game.

The most immediate concern centers on Jalen Williams after a non-contact sequence. After an injury-cursed year, J-Dub was hit with another setback in the third quarter. He seemingly landed too hard while going for a layup that Suns’ defenders swatted away. When he tried to move to the other end where the play continued, he was in visible pain and staggering. He intentionally committed a foul at the 5:53 mark just to sub himself out of the game.

As Cason Wallace subbed in his place, OKC ruled out J-Dub for the rest of the game with a left hamstring injury. Williams, whose had only 33 regular season appearances due to the same injury in his right hamstring, was torching the Suns with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 23 minutes when he exited the game.

Head coach Mark Daigneault confirmed the severity of the situation in the post-game presser. “We think he aggravated his left hamstring. We’ll take a look at it in the next couple of days, and we’ll update you guys when appropriate.”

The timing is particularly cruel for the All-Star wing. It appears to be a classic case of ‘contralateral injury’ wherein players returning from a hamstring strain on one side are at high risk of injuring the other, healthy side that’s overcompensating for the weakened leg. If very severe, it could sideline him for an extended period once more.

While OKC has found a way to play without Williams, they were under the threat of getting more shorthanded.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s in-game injury presents trouble for OKC

Compounding the anxiety for the OKC faithful was a first-quarter scare involving After an awkward fall during a physical drive, Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to tweak his left hand. He was clutching his hand in pain and needed several moments on the bench.