Midway through the third quarter, OKC Thunder star forward Jalen Williams grabbed his left hamstring after missing a layup against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Williams promptly left the floor following a timeout and headed to the locker room.
The viral sequence earned reactions from fans due to the potential significance of the injury. One fan wrote:
“Lakers really going to the finals.”
Another fan added:
“Karma’s a b, isn’t it thunder fans? Sincerely, a laker fan.”
One more fan continued:
“Playoff momentum just flipped in one injury report.”
Another fan commented:
“Yeah, just ring the Lakers already.”
One fan tweeted:
“This definitely would change the western playoffs. Thunder would be vulnerable.”
This season, Jalen Williams missed multiple games due to a right hamstring injury. Although details of the left hamstring injury have not yet emerged, there is legitimate concern from Thunder fans that Williams could sit out multiple playoff games.
Before the injury, Williams was in dazzling form. He had 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3-point distance. The former All-Star added two assists, one steal and one rebound. OKC outscored Phoenix by 10 points during Williams’ 18-minute appearance.
Some fans are intrigued by the LA Lakers’ fortune after Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) suffered injuries in the final regular-season Lakers-Thunder game. As both are ramping up to return, a few of the Western Conference’s biggest stars are hobbled.
Jalen Williams’ left hamstring injury could be a turning point in the playoffs.
Suns Making Game 2 Interesting With Jalen Williams Watching From Bench
Jalen Williams eventually returned to join his teammates but stayed on the bench for the remainder of Game 2. With the Thunder holding a 100-77 lead after the third quarter, the defending champs seemed to be out of trouble.
However, the Suns refused to quit behind Dillon Brooks’ sizzling fourth-quarter start. After OKC took a 105-80 lead, Brooks scored the next nine points to help his team steadily cut the Thunder’s lead.
Just as Brooks went cold, Devin Booker took over. Besides timely shots, Booker’s passing also re-ignited the visiting team. A pass to Royce O’Neale with 3:47 left led to a 3-pointer that cut the Thunder’s advantage to 110-100.
Mark Daigneault called a timeout while Jalen Williams and other Thunder players on the bench egged on their teammates to keep their composure.
Daigneault’s brief ceasefire helped compose the Thunder, who held on to a 120-107 win.
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