Thunder's Williams Stretchered Off With Severe Leg Injury
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Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was carried from the court on a stretcher with a severe lower-leg injury during Sunday’s 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder released no diagnosis after the game.
With 1:14 left in the fourth quarter, Williams drove from the left wing and was met at the rim by Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. With little room to land, Williams’ left leg folded beneath him and the ankle turned at an unnatural angle, The Athletic reported. He went down underneath the basket on Oklahoma City’s final possession and was treated by medical staff for several minutes before a stretcher was brought onto the floor.
Teammates reacted before the extent of the injury was visible. Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell covered their eyes; Isaiah Hartenstein turned to the tunnel with a towel over his face. Fans fell silent, then began chanting Williams’ name. As he was wheeled toward the tunnel, Williams sat up on the stretcher and gave two thumbs-up to a standing ovation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP who has played five seasons beside Williams, wiped tears on the sideline and held back more in a postgame interview. “Just feel bad for him,” he said. “Nothing more than that.”
Williams, a shooting guard who has averaged 18 points a game through his first 250 NBA contests, is an All-Star and an All-NBA selection, and was a central figure in the Thunder’s 2024-25 championship. His absence removes for the time being the second scoring option behind Gilgeous-Alexander on a team again among the Western Conference’s front-runners.
Oklahoma City’s mayor, David Holt, said the city “will have JDub in our thoughts and prayers as he deals with this adversity and as he makes his way through his recovery.”
The Thunder said Williams would undergo further evaluation. No timetable for a diagnosis was given, and the club deferred questions on severity to that examination.