Will Jalen Williams play tonight against the Lakers? Injury update for Thunder star
The Oklahoma City Thunder have made it through the 2026 NBA Playoffs so far despite not being at full strength.
Thunder star Jalen “J-Dub” Williams hasn’t played since suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain during the first round against the Phoenix Suns on April 22. Williams played the first two games of the opening series and has been sidelined ever since.
Announcement
Oklahoma City defeated the Suns in one blow and has since advanced to the conference semifinals to face the Los Angeles Lakers, where they hold a 1-0 series lead following a 108-90 victory in Game 1 on May 5.
Williams missed the first game of the Thunder-Lakers series. His status for Game 2 mirrors his status for Game 1.
According to the NBA’s injury report (as of 5 p.m. ET), Williams is listed for Game 2 with a strained left hamstring.
Williams, 25, averaged 17.1 points and 5.5 assists with the Thunder during the 2025-26 regular season. He shot 48.4% from the field and just under 30% from 3-point range. His average plus/minus is +6.9.
Announcement
Despite lacking those numbers, Oklahoma City has shown signs of success without Williams, who has been sidelined at times during the season with injuries. Williams played in 33 regular season games. He has been limited by two wrist surgeries and two hamstring strains.
The Thunder have been blistering fast from their opponents with or without him, outscoring their opponents by an average of 17.4 points in five games. Adding Williams would only make Oklahoma City look unstoppable.
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Williams is part of the Thunder’s core and the team’s current run is a dynasty. He signed a five-year, $239.25 million contract as part of a designated rookie contract extension with Oklahoma City in July 2025.
Announcement
Draft by Jalen Williams
Williams was selected by the Thunder with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Santa Clara. The pick was originally acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a deal sending Paul George to Los Angeles for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jalen Williams stats
Here are Jalen Williams’ 2025-26 regular season stats:
Jalen Williams highlights
Check out highlights of Thunder guard Jalen Williams from last year’s playoffs.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Update on Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams’ injury vs. Lakers