Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams will miss at least a week due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain suffered in Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns. The team announced the injury on Thursday after the Thunder's 120-107 victory on Wednesday. Williams exited in the third quarter after grabbing his hamstring.
Williams played 23 minutes in the win over the Suns before leaving. He grabbed his left hamstring after landing from a missed layup and again while defending Devin Booker. Listed as questionable, he did not return to the game. The Thunder announced the Grade 1 strain on Thursday, noting he would be sidelined for at least a week. This marks his third hamstring injury this season, though the first on his left side, after which he played only 33 regular-season games. Before exiting Game 2, Williams scored 19 points on 63% shooting. In Game 1, he posted 22 points on 60% shooting, seven rebounds and six assists. Thunder guard Alex Caruso praised Williams' play prior to the injury. 'I might be naïve in saying this: It looked like he was himself,' Caruso said. 'It didn't look out of the ordinary, which I think is just a testament to how good of a talent he is.' The top-seeded Thunder have dominated the first round without Williams at times this season. A potential second-round matchup looms with the Los Angeles Lakers, who lead the Houston Rockets 2-0 despite injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
