After missing 10 consecutive games due to a right hamstring strain, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams makes his return in Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Amidst a slew of injuries to key players, including All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the shorthanded Thunder have lost five of their last 10 games. Having Williams, one of Oklahoma City's prime offensive creators and lock down defenders, back is good news.
Since its historic 24-1 start, the defending champion Thunder has held the NBA's best record all season, a streak that was never in jeopardy until its recent stretch. Oklahoma City is 14-10 in its previous 24 games. The Thunder, 40-13, holds a 3.5-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs, who are second in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 38-13 record.
It's been an injury-riddled season for Williams and the Thunder. After missing the first 19 games of the regular season due to two surgeries to repair torn ligaments in his right wrist, Williams' return lasted 24 games before suffering a right hamstring injury in a 122-120 loss to the Miami Heat.
Williams was forced to leave the game early and has missed the previous three weeks ahead of the Thunder's quick two-game road trip that starts against the Lakers and ends against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Oklahoma City will look to snap its two-game skid after losing to the San Antonio Spurs on the road and the Houston Rockets at home on Saturday.
Williams has averaged 16.8 points on 47.0% shooting, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24 games with the Thunder this season.
Jalen Williams reveals frustration amid return to Thunder
Thunder forward Jalen Williams reflected on his nagging wrist injury amidst his return from missing the first 19 games of the regular season. Finding comfort in his shooting wrist is Williams' new normal, he says, a process that continues throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
“It sucks — it’s a very annoying process,” Williams said. “Nobody’s going to be more frustrated than me when shots are short, when they’re not, but it’s just one of those things I’ve learned throughout the game. And it’s not like I’m on a bad team, where I come and jack 40 shots, and figure it out that way. Again, this injury is not something that you get; you have two hand surgeries, and you’re good to go.
“It’s something over the course of a year or a year and a half, and having the summers to really figure it out, where it’ll be really back to normal. It’s just one of those things you just figure out in the game, and I’ll be able to be effective in other ways, and not focus on it. That’s my biggest thing; there are so many other things I can be doing to affect the game than score and play defense,” Williams concluded.
The Thunder will look to avoid a three-game skid in Monday's matchup against the Lakers.
