The All-Star forward returns healthy for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio
Jalen Williams is back.
The Oklahoma City Thunder forward was not listed on the team’s injury report ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, confirming his availability after a 25-day absence. He last played on April 22, when a Grade 1 left hamstring strain ended his night and his postseason run against the Phoenix Suns in the opening round.
That injury typically requires one to three weeks of recovery. The Thunder’s dominance in the rounds that followed gave Williams the extra time he needed, and he took full advantage of it.
What Williams brings back to OKC
At 25 years old, Williams is one of the most complete players on a roster that already has the reigning back-to-back MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams is a shot creator, a capable playmaker, a reliable rebounder, and a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. His presence gives the Thunder a second offensive engine and more flexibility in how coach Mark Daigneault structures the lineup.
This season, injuries limited Williams to just 33 regular-season games, his lowest total as a professional. Despite the truncated schedule, he posted 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. The hamstring issue was part of a broader pattern of physical setbacks that also included a wrist problem earlier in the year.
How OKC managed without him
Williams missed the Thunder’s entire second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, a four-game sweep. In his absence, Ajay Mitchell stepped into the starting lineup and delivered. Mitchell averaged 22.5 points, six assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a starter during that run, giving OKC unexpected production from a player who had spent most of the season in a supporting role.
With Williams back and healthy, Mitchell is expected to return to the bench. That is not a demotion so much as a signal of how deep and well-constructed this Thunder roster is. A player who averaged over 22 points per game as a starter during a playoff series will now come off the bench.
The challenge waiting in San Antonio
Oklahoma City enters the series against a Spurs team that went 4-1 against the Thunder in their five regular-season meetings. San Antonio eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the previous round and enters as a legitimate threat built around Victor Wembanyama, the generational talent who has made the Spurs one of the most compelling stories in the league this season.
Williams gives the Thunder another tool against Wembanyama’s length and the Spurs’ defensive versatility. Practice footage in the days leading up to Game 1 showed Williams working through off-the-dribble moves, mid-range jumpers, and live-speed cutting drills, signs that he was not just cleared to play but ready to contribute at a meaningful level.
The West finals schedule
Game 1 tips off Monday night at 7:30 p.m. CT and will air on NBC and Peacock. The series follows a standard best-of-seven format, with Games 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City before shifting to San Antonio for Games 3 and 4. If the series extends, Games 5 and 7 would return to OKC, with Game 6 in San Antonio.
For a Thunder team that has already swept through two rounds without one of its best players, having Williams back changes the calculus heading into what figures to be the most demanding matchup of their postseason run.
Oklahoma City has not needed him yet. Now that he is available, the Spurs have to account for one more problem they did not have to worry about before.