The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns 120-107 in Game 2, but things weren’t all sunshine as Jalen Williams suffered a right hamstring injury that kept him out for the remainder of the game. He went down in the third quarter. It was his left hamstring that caused him to miss significant time earlier this season. Still, this is a major concern for the best team in the NBA.
The Thunder were 39-10 without J-Dub this season. Oklahoma City is still the favorite to win it all, but the road will be tougher without the All-Star wing. The Thunder will finish off the Suns, but things will get more challenging in round two. No word yet on how long Williams will miss, but it didn’t look good.
To make matters worse, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was seen holding his hand multiple times in Game 2. The Thunder got a comfortable victory, despite a late charge by the Suns. OKC is in the driver’s seat in this series, but the team’s health will be the focus leading into Game 3 on Saturday.
Jalen Williams injury puts a black cloud over Thunder’s Game 2
Williams missed the first 19 games of the season recovering from his offseason wrist surgery. He suffered a right hamstring injury on Jan. 17 and sat out the next ten contests. The 6’5 wing returned for two games before re-injuring it. The second time, he missed 16 contests.
OKC hopes this injury doesn’t cost him weeks. J-Dub played outstandingly in the first two games before suffering this injury. He wasn’t healthy in the 2025 playoff, despite playing a key role in the Thunder winning the championship. They need Williams to defeat the NBA’s elite, but his status is in question after Wednesday night’s injury.
All Thunder fans can do is wait for updates. It didn’t look good. Fans can see the video below.
Jalen Williams left Game 2 vs. the Suns with an apparent hamstring injury. pic.twitter.com/P47wjF0c9T
— ESPN (@espn) April 23, 2026
He was right on schedule before this injury. Williams was playing his best basketball at the right time. LeBron called J-Dub out as one of the biggest wildcards, and it may turn out poorly for the Thunder.
Let’s hope for the best. Jeff Stotts offered a bleak take that Thunder fans might not want to hear when Luka Doncic injured his hamstring against OKC. The average time missed has been 22 days this season. Hopefully, Williams' injury is mild and doesn’t force him out that long, but nobody really knows at this moment.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should be celebrating being up 2-0 after two dominant wins, but the Jalen Williams injury makes that impossible. Fans will be waiting for news and constantly updating the feeds. It isn’t supposed to be this way. The title defense just got more difficult. Hopefully, J-Dub recovers quickly. Stay tuned for all the latest.
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