A devastating injury sidelines Jalen Williams, overshadowing a close loss and raising serious questions about the Thunder's championship aspirations.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost a heartbreaker of a game to the Miami Heat by a final score of 122-120 on Saturday night. And that loss by way of an Andrew Wiggins game-winning 3 pointer was only the second most upsetting outcome of the night for Thunder fans.
Jalen Williams left the game in the first half with what appeared at first glance to be a right upper hamstring injury. The young star subbed out and immediately exited to the Thunder locker room. Thunder PR later ruled Williams out for the remainder of the game due to "right thigh soreness".
In the short term, the All-Star's absence was certainly felt. And to add salt to the wound, Williams started off hotter than he has in some time since he is adjusting to his wrist recovery. After only attempting two total 3 pointers over the prior three games, Williams splashed back to back deep buckets in the opening quarter. He had 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in only 14 minutes and OKC was a +4 in his 14 minutes. His defense, size and rebounding could've been a factor in a game in which Oklahoma City gave up 21 offensive rebounds and lost by one possession.
It's the question of the long term that has Thunder fans on edge, though.
"We'll see in the morning," Mark Daigneault said when asked in the postgame presser about his level of concern for Jalen Williams. "We'll check him out and see how he is tomorrow."
If Williams is forced to miss any length of time, Oklahoma City will suddenly be down two starters. Thunder starting center Isaiah Hartenstein has missed 19 games so far this season, including the past 11 contests. Williams and Hartenstein are two of OKC's best two way players and both play a vital role in the Thunder's success.
Yes, the Thunder have arguably the greatest depth in the league. And sure, the Thunder have sustained lengthy injuries to important players such as Williams, Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso and continued winning over the past couple seasons. But losing an All-Star/All-NBA/All-Defense player like Williams while simultaneously being without the team's best rebounder and a top five player on the squad in Hartenstein would be a big blow even to the talent-laden defending champs.
Here's hoping for good news on the status of Jalen Williams. Any sort of positive update from the Thunder on the fan favorite would be a big win after a night when a loss was almost an afterthought.