Hamstring issue causes concern for Jalen Williams

Oklahoma City’s remarkable season received an unexpected bump over the weekend as forward Jalen Williams was ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a right hamstring strain.

The injury, sustained during Saturday’s narrow 122-120 loss to the Miami Heat, has left the Thunder without one of their key playmakers as they chase another deep NBA playoff push.

Williams, a 24-year-old forward who emerged as an All-Star and All-NBA talent last season, left the Miami game midway through the second quarter after visibly grabbing his right leg following a run and subsequent awkward pass attempt. Initially labelled as “right thigh soreness”, further medical checks confirmed the strain and the team decided to rest him for the trip to Cleveland.

As for the extent of the injury, the Thunder have not specified how much time Williams might miss beyond Monday’s game, leaving fans on edge regarding his short-term availability. Hamstring strains can vary widely in recovery time depending on severity, and each case must be judged on its own depending on his progress.

“I mean, it sucks. It’s a very annoying process”

He recently spoke about the previous recovery, admitting that missing games “sucks”: “I mean, it sucks. It’s a very annoying process. Nobody is going to be more frustrated than me when shots are short. This injury is not something where you get two hand surgeries and you’re good to go. It’s over the course of over the year, a year and a half, and have summers to really figure it out.”

After helping the Thunder capture their first NBA title and earning individual honours in an sensational season, Williams underwent right wrist surgery during the offseason and missed the first 19 games of the 2025-26 campaign. Since returning, Williams has been a consistent star on the court, averaging 16.8 points, 5.6 assists and almost five rebounds per game.

Since the Thunder picked him 12th overall in the 2022 draft, Williams has put up career averages of 18.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 239 appearances (226 starts).

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The game between the Cavs and the Thunder will take place on Monday, Jan. 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

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