Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reacts to Potential Loss of Jalen Williams for WCF
The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to even their Western Conference Finals series 1-1 on Wednesday evening, after getting a hard-fought victory against the San Antonio Spurs.
OKC received a strong performance from the reigning NBA MVP, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points on 12-of-24 shooting, and also dished out nine assists to teammates. Unfortunately, one of those teammates might be out due to an injury.
Jalen Williams exited the game due to hamstring tightness with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter and he didn’t return for the rest of the matchup.
At the time of his exit, he’d contributed just four points on 2-for-4 shooting, but also had two steals and a rebound in his team’s 122-113 win in Oklahoma City. His team still achieved the victory, but losing key members of the lineup could prove difficult for the defending champs.
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After the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to reporters at his postgame press conference, about what it would mean for his team’s playoff run if Williams became ruled out for more games with the injury.
“Obviously, if we don’t have him, it hurts. I still believe in this team though. We played a bunch of games without him. But I still think we can get the job done,” SGA told reporters.
Williams previously sat out for six of the Thunder’s playoff games due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, and had just returned for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault spoke about the situation postgame, as Williams was set for an MRI on Thursday.
He’s going to get checked out,” Daigneault, per ESPN. “I don’t deal in like hypotheticals, especially when doctors are involved. … We’ll see where he’s at. We’ll update him accordingly.
Williams was a key component of the Thunder, as the team’s second-best scorer in the starting lineup this season. Without him, OKC showed its depth and talented reserves, as guard Ajay Mitchell stepped in and stepped up in Williams’ absence with several great contributions.
The Thunder also swept their first two series, before running into a much more challenging opponent in the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, who could very well take advantage of Williams’ absence to achieve a series upset.
However, SGA’s confidence and strong message should carry over to his teammates, as they head into Game 3 on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 7:52 AM.