Jalen Williams gives a thumbs up to the crowd as he is carried off after an injury during the second half against the LA Clippers. Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was stretchered off the court Sunday night after suffering a serious injury to his lower left leg after being fouled in a scene that brought some of his teammates to the brink of tears. He was injured on a drive with 1:14 left in Oklahoma City’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and was treated almost immediately by medical staff after falling under the basket on the Thunder’s offensive end. Williams’ ankle was wrapped in towels and players from both teams immediately acted in shock and disbelief as the stretcher was wheeled out. The game was stopped for about five minutes and the Thunder finished with a 108-101 victory. “I just feel bad for him,” Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said in a televised postgame interview, fighting back tears as he spoke. “Nothing more than that.” There was no immediate diagnosis from the Thunder, although it was obvious the injury was serious, and the stretcher was called just seconds after the play ended. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the team would be informed Monday morning with the latest updates on Williams’ condition. “We’re not doing very well,” Daigneault said. Williams, sitting on the stretcher, gave two thumbs up to cheering fans as he was carried off the court. “Our entire city will have JDub in our thoughts and prayers as he deals with this adversity and moves forward in his recovery,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt posted on social media after the game. Williams, a guard who entered Sunday averaging 18 points per game in his first 250 NBA games, has already been a career All-Star and All-NBA player and was a big part of the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA title. He missed 49 games last season with a series of issues, primarily hamstring problems and recovering from major surgery on his right wrist. “He loves to play, he loves the competition,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s just him… His luck so far is unfortunate. But he’s prepared for it.” The Thunder play again Monday night at home against Phoenix. The schedule leaves Oklahoma City no choice but to try to move forward somewhat quickly, Daigneault said. “We have no choice,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s what we signed up for. Obviously it’s going to be tough without a player like that. He’s not gone forever. He’ll come back better than ever. We know that. We just have to hold down the fort until he comes back.”
