The Oklahoma City Thunder's victory over the Clippers took a backseat at Paycom Center. With 1:14 remaining, Jalen Williams fell awkwardly under the basket on a drive where he was fouled, and medical staff called for the stretcher within seconds. His left ankle was wrapped in towels.
The game was stopped for about five minutes. Players from both teams made no effort to hide their distress, and some of Williams' teammates were on the verge of tears as he was attended to. Already on the stretcher, the shooting guard gave two thumbs up to the crowd as he was carried out to applause. The Thunder finished out the victory and remain undefeated.
No diagnosis yet, but bad vibes
The team provided no diagnosis after the game, though the speed with which the stretcher was called and the atmosphere in the arena made clear this is not a minor injury. Head coach Mark Daigneault explained that the coaching staff will receive the medical report Monday morning and was brief when describing the team's mood: "We're not doing well."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the game's leading scorer with 34 points, spoke with a shaky voice in his postgame interview. "I feel for him, that's all," he said, before highlighting his teammate's resilience: "He loves to play and compete, that's who he is. His luck has been bad so far, but he's built for this. He's not gone forever and he'll come back better than ever. It's on us to hold it down until he gets back."
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Another blow after a season of setbacks
The injury comes at the worst possible time for Williams, who was looking to put behind him a 2025-26 season marked by physical problems. He missed 49 games, mainly due to hamstring issues and recovery from major right wrist surgery, and played just 33 regular season games, averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.
Before that season, he had established himself as the Thunder's second star. He was an All-Star and made the All-NBA team in 2024-25, the year Oklahoma City won the championship with him as a key piece. He came into this game averaging 18 points through his first 250 games in the league.
The night also saw two other absences for Daigneault's team: Cason Wallace left in the first quarter with left shoulder soreness and Jaylin Williams with right wrist pain. The Thunder have no room for regrets, as they host the Phoenix Suns on Monday. "We don't have a choice. That's what we signed up for," Gilgeous-Alexander summed up.