March 24, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CT
Curling to the basket, Jalen Williams attempted his signature tear-drop floater. Being out for 16 consecutive games materialized in a badly whiffed shot. Isaiah Hartenstein provided him a quick chance of redemption with another offensive rebound. The All-NBA talent backpedaled to the corner and swished in the outside jumper.
Shelved for most of the season, Williams hopes he can finally flip the page on an injury-riddled chapter filled with two wrist surgeries and two hamstring strains.
The Oklahoma City Thunder flexed their full health with a 123-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s the first time their championship lineup has played together since the New Year’s.
Williams finished with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. After being out for nearly two months with a second hamstring strain, he showed no signs of compromised legs with Flash-esque speed to the rim.
“I wouldn’t say ‘frustrating’ is the word. I think if I were on a different team, I’d be more frustrated. But I’m around good energy, as you guys can see. I think that’s been one of the things that have kept me going. I’ve been trying to use it as a positive, too,” Williams said. “My wrist has felt a lot better than it ever has. I think that was a big hurdle during the season. I’ve been able to kinda get over it. Back to what it was like.”
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Only three weeks remain in the 2025-26 regular season. Crazy to think about, right? Williams is on the clock to get back into the flow of things. Each possession matters. The Thunder may have survived his absence in the regular season, but the NBA playoffs are a different beast.
If the Thunder hope to go back-to-back, they’ll need Williams to return to his All-NBA form. We’ve seen flashes of it. But nothing concrete. That could change soon — especially if he’s truly over his wrist woes like he claimed to be after OKC’s win in Philadelphia.
“I think the part I underestimated was more how many games I was missing,” Williams said. “I think when you look at it from the lens of, ‘I just won,’ you’re really excited about winning. And then when I got to the part where I had to have my second surgery, it was a little more real for me. I was only supposed to miss five games, and I ended up missing like 20, just to make sure it’s correct.”
Playing on an injured wrist, Williams sacrificed most of this regular season for a championship ring. While he didn’t expect to miss as much as he’s had, you easily take that tradeoff in a heartbeat. This year isn’t a total wash yet, though. The 24-year-old can make up for things with another stellar playoff run.
If Williams returns to being the Scottie Pippen to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Michael Jordan in the postseason, being out for a good chunk of the regular season will be a distant memory. Look no further than Chet Holmgren. His 2024-25 campaign was headlined by a championship ring — not a hip fracture that cost him three months.
“That’s how I’ve been using it as a twist to the season. It does suck. You work up all season and then get the same injury twice in a row when I was dealing with my hand at the time,” Williams said. “That part was a little frustrating, but I’ve been around good energy and a good organization. It’s made it pretty easy to get back.”