Jalen Williams Out Thursday And Will Be Reevaluated After All-Star Break

Oklahoma City will be missing key scorer Jalen Williams against the Milwaukee Bucks, with the guard/forward ruled out because of a persistent right hamstring injury. The Thunder plan to reassess Williams after the All-Star break, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also sidelined with an abdominal strain and faces the same review timeline.

This double absence removes last season’s All-Star and the reigning league MVP from Oklahoma City’s rotation at the same time. The Thunder must now manage minutes and roles carefully, as both injuries affect the backcourt and wing rotation during a busy stretch heading into the All-Star pause.

Williams has already dealt with this hamstring issue once in the past month. The problem began on 17 January against the Miami Heat, when Williams grabbed at the back of the right leg after stretching for an awkward second-quarter pass. He left that game and then sat out the following 10 contests.

{TABLE_X}

The current setback comes shortly after Williams finally returned from a different problem. Williams missed the first month of this season while recovering from a wrist injury suffered late last season. Williams continued playing through that wrist issue during the playoffs, then needed extended recovery time before resuming full contact action.

When Williams came back to the court on Monday night, the impact was immediate. Williams scored 23 points in a 119-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, showing the scoring range and driving power that defined last season. The performance suggested the All-Star rhythm was returning, even after the long layoff.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault highlighted how Williams grew into that Lakers game. "Against L.A., he was obviously a little rusty in the first half, but he tried to play with tremendous force in that game," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And then as the game wore on, especially in his last stint against the Lakers, he was really on the gas. Really closed that game for us offensively."

Williams then produced an even stronger display the next night. Against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, Williams delivered a season-best 28 points, hitting 11 of 12 field-goal attempts in a 136-109 win. The efficiency underlined how quickly Williams had rediscovered rhythm before the hamstring issue returned.

Daigneault praised that Phoenix showing. "He obviously had a loud statistical night and great shot making," Daigneault said. "Got himself to the line a little bit, found shooters, found rollers." Those two strong outings now sit on pause, with Oklahoma City hoping the hamstring responds during the All-Star interval.

Last season, Williams collected All-Star honours, earned All-NBA third-team recognition and made the All-Defense second team while helping Oklahoma City capture the championship. With both Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander unavailable until at least after the All-Star break, the Thunder must rely on depth options to maintain momentum built from those recent wins.