The Oklahoma City Thunder are 3-0, but Sunday night's 108-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers came at a painful cost. All-Star guard Jalen Williams went down with what appeared to be a serious leg injury with 1:14 remaining, The Guardian reported.
Williams, 25, drove to the basket and his left leg gave way as he landed, his foot bending at an unnatural angle. He was taken off on a stretcher with towels draped over the leg. He covered his mouth as he looked down at it, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and players from both teams looked stunned.
A shaken locker room
"We're not doing great," coach Mark Daigneault said afterward, adding that the team expected an update on the injury Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 points, was in tears as he talked about his teammate. He said he felt terrible for Williams, acknowledged the team would struggle without a player of his caliber and said the Thunder would have to hold things together until he returns, insisting Williams would come back stronger.
Injuries pile up
Williams was not the only casualty. Guard Cason Wallace left in the first quarter with left shoulder soreness, and forward Jaylin Williams exited with right wrist soreness; neither returned.
The setback is a familiar one for Jalen Williams, who missed 49 games last season with a series of injuries but was central to the Thunder's 2025 championship run. Monday's update will show how long the Thunder must go without him.
Reporting sources: Sport | The Guardian, “‘We’re not doing great’: Gilgeous-Alexander in tears after Williams suffers gruesome leg injury”.