Two weeks after the initial injury, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to start their Round 2 series without an All-NBA talent. Jalen Williams has officially been ruled out for Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers. He remains out with a hamstring strain.
Williams sustained the injury in OKC’s Game 2 win over the Phoenix Suns on Apr. 22. The Thunder ruled him week-to-week. He missed the Thunder’s last two wins over the Suns in another Round 1 sweep. The week off bought him some time, but he will be out at least one more game.
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Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about Williams’ rehab on Monday. Near the tail-end of OKC’s media availability, Williams was spotted getting ready to put work in.
“He’s progressing according to plan, I would say. In terms of timeline, we’re not going to release that,” Daigneault said. “We’ll continue to let you guys know on a week-to-week basis.”
It’s been an injury-plagued year for Williams. He was limited to 33 regular-season games due to two wrist surgeries and two hamstring strains. Through the first six quarters of OKC’s NBA playoff journey, you could argue he was their best player.
We’ll see when Williams returns. Until then, expect Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren to get more scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, Williams’ constant absences have forced the Thunder to figure out a formula to beat teams without him for most of the year.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Jalen Williams’ Lakers-Thunder Game 1 status officially revealed