Thunder Star Jalen Williams Leaves Game 2 vs. Spurs Early With Hamstring Tightness
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced unfortunate news about Jalen Williams in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The defending champions are down 1-0 after they suffered a double overtime loss on Monday at home.
In Game 2, the Thunder started Williams, who returned to action in Game 1 after missing six straight games due to a left hamstring strain. The one-time All-Star played seven minutes before he was taken out of the game late in the first quarter.
He headed to the locker room and did not play in the second quarter. After halftime, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported on X that Williams has been ruled out. MacMahon said that the Thunder listed the one-time champion out for the remainder of the game due to left hamstring tightness.
Jalen Williams (left hamstring tightness) has been ruled out.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 21, 2026
Officially being called tightness, not a strain.
The Thunder started Cason Wallace in the second half in place of the injured star, who finished with four points on 2-for-4 shooting. The broadcast showed Williams had his left thigh taped up on his way to the locker room.
It's a tough blow to the Thunder since Williams is one of the most important two-way players for the team. In the three games that he's appeared in the postseason, he has averaged 22.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Jalen Williams Was Bothered By Hamstring Issues in the Regular Season
Williams' 2025-26 season hasn't been the best since he was limited to just 33 games due to injuries. He spent most of the time recovering from a right hamstring strain, which bothered him again during the Thunder's first-round series against the Phoenix Suns.
The star forward missed the entire second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Fortunately for the Thunder, the team swept the LeBron James-led team to advance to their second consecutive conference finals appearance. The early series win allowed OKC to have more time to rest, and it helped Williams take his time to recover and return before the start of their series against San Antonio.
"It's good that I haven't had to rush back from my hamstring stuff at all," Williams said on his YouTube channel. "I'm actually taking like extra days now than from what was originally planned because we were up 3-0 [over the Lakers], so there was no point in going into this series and possibly hurting myself before we play the Timberwolves or the Spurs.
"I'm about to go into another series healthy."
Williams also missed time during the regular season because he had to recover from two offseason surgeries on his wrist.
Related: Final Injury Report for Thunder-Suns Game 3: Will Jalen Williams, Mark Williams Play?
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 10:43 PM.