Jan. 20, 2026, 4:01 p.m. CT

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 17: Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder is helped off the court against the Miami Heat during the first half at Kaseya Center on January 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Knocking down a couple of outside jumpers, it felt like Jalen Williams was about to add to the momentum he’s built over the last handful of games. Instead, the 24-year-old was hit with another injury setback. Such is the price of an NBA championship.

Williams sustained a hamstring strain in a 122-120 loss to the Miami Heat on Jan. 17. He will be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks, which means he’s set to miss at least the next few games at a minimum.

Unfortunately, the Oklahoma City Thunder have grown accustomed to playing without Williams this season. He missed the first 19 games of the season recovering from multiple wrist surgeries to repair torn ligaments he played through in last year’s playoff run. They went 18-1 in that stretch.

In case you were wondering, the Thunder will play their last game before the All-Star break on Thursday, Feb. 12, against the Milwaukee Bucks. They return on Friday, Feb. 20, against the Brooklyn Nets. The latter matchup would put him at over a month of recovery time.

Before they collected a 136-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about Williams’ hamstring strain. You can sense the frustration when he posted a photo on social media of someone flushing themselves down the toilet in the aftermath of the injury.

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“I always feel bad for guys. This is their life, and they put so much work into it. In his case, he put so much work into getting back on the court. He’s already missed a chunk of time, so I feel for the guys when an injury prevents them from playing,” Daigneault said. “It sucks, but you’ve got to play the ball where it is. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s going to put one foot in front of the other and attack the return to play, as he’s always done.”

In the meantime, expect the Thunder to lean on Chet Holmgren even more as a scorer. You can already bet Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to put up an efficient 30-plus points, but it’s now up to the others to step up in Williams’ absence.