Jalen Williams Eases Back Into Thunder Lineup After Second Hamstring Comeback
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BOSTON — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams logged 24 minutes in a 119-109 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, marking his second appearance since returning from a right hamstring strain that sidelined him for nearly two months.
Williams finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists at TD Garden. Although his stat line was modest, the 24-year-old said clearing each game without pain remains the bigger hurdle. “Anybody that’s had a hamstring injury knows it’s usually after the game,” he said before tipoff. “Tonight will be another test.”
The Thunder initially lost Williams to the hamstring injury in January. He missed 10 games, came back for two, pulled the muscle again, and then sat out another 16 contests. Oklahoma City is limiting his workload; he played 20 minutes Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers and was just past the 21-minute mark Wednesday when head coach Mark Daigneault reinserted him with under three minutes left. “We’re definitely not looking at 30-minute nights yet,” Daigneault said.
Williams shared the floor at times with Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who is 10 games removed from Achilles surgery. Tatum posted 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and the pair talked after the game about the challenges of regaining rhythm. “It’s hard—there’s no flow,” Williams noted. “When you’re used to playing 35 minutes and they take 10 or 12 away, your game gets a little choppy.”
This season’s setbacks started early for Williams, who missed Oklahoma City’s first 20 games after offseason wrist surgery. The Thunder, attempting to secure home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs, lead the San Antonio Spurs by two games with nine remaining, though San Antonio owns the tiebreaker. Williams said his focus is on health rather than seeding: “When you have the same injury twice, it’s a mental obstacle. You don’t want to mess up the flow of the game.”
Source: ESPN
