After an injury-riddled 2025/26 season, Thunder forward Jalen Williams could face another extended absence. Williams appeared to suffer a major injury during Sunday’s win over the Clippers when he took a hard fall that twisted his left ankle the wrong way (Link to video on Twitter).
Williams tried to get up using a teammate Chet Holmgren for help before the coaches forced him to stay, according to Locked On NBA’s Rylan Stiles (Link to Twitter). The training staff then brought him on a stretcher as teammates tried to comfort him.
The crowd chanted his nickname “J-Dub” as he was carried off the court, to which he responded by giving two thumbs up, notes Youngmisuk (Link to Twitter).
After the game, teammate and two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ESPN’s Tim McMahon notes that he broke down in tears while discussing Williams (Twitter references).
“I just feel bad for him” – said Giljus-Alexander. “Obviously, it will be difficult without such a player. But he didn’t leave forever. He will come back better than ever and we know it. We just have to hold the fort until he comes back.”
Head coach Mark Dyno discussed the injury after the game, but didn’t go into detail or speculation.
“They’re tough, man. We are not doing well” he told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Link to video on Twitter). “It’s hard for guys. Everyone sympathizes, I think, both teams, in such situations. We are not doing well.”
Dyno said it was important for him to get the team together to heal from the injury and move forward as a group, according to Martinez (Link to video on Twitter).
“I think it starts with us just getting everybody together and regrouping in a situation like this, especially when it’s this ugly, and that’s what we focus on first before moving on to anything else.” he said. “We’ll come tomorrow, get everyone together and we’ll have more information for the team at that time. I know they’ll be dying to know how he’s doing and stuff like that and then we’ll move on from there. But for now, you just have to let yourself feel what you feel.”
Williams played in just 33 regular season games last season and was in and out of the playoff rotation as he dealt with multiple wrist and hamstring injuries.
