Thunder lose star Jalen Williams for Western Conference Finals Game 7 as hamstring injury lingers

The Oklahoma City Thunder will beryllium shorthanded successful Saturday’s pivotal Game 7, arsenic 1 of Oklahoma's cardinal contributors has been sidelined pinch an injury.

OKC defender Jalen Williams has been ruled retired for Game 7 pinch a hamstring issue, ESPN reported connected Friday. Williams appeared to aggravate his near hamstring during nan Thunder’s 122-113 triumph successful Game 2. He missed nan adjacent 3 games earlier returning for Game 6, but logged conscionable 10 minutes disconnected nan chair successful Oklahoma City’s loss to nan San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, which forced a winner-take-all Game 7.

"He's evidently not 100%," Mark Daigneault, nan caput coach of nan Thunder, said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Oklahoma City Thunder defender Jalen Williams watches during nan 4th fourth against nan San Antonio Spurs successful Game One of nan NBA Western Conference Finals astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Oklahoma connected May 18, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Daigneault applauded Williams for fighting done nan wounded and doing everything he could to thief Oklahoma City.

"He didn't cognize what to expect. I didn't cognize what to expect. So, it was a matter of getting him retired location successful benignant of an insulated domiciled and spot what he tin bring to nan team. He's an All-Star player, he's an All-NBA player. He hasn't done a afloat return to play [protocol] for illustration he would if this was nan regular season, and yet, he conscionable wants to do immoderate he tin to effort to lend immoderate he tin to nan team."

BLOCKBUSTER GAME 7 SHOWDOWN: FOUR BEST BETS FOR SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

"I springiness him a batch of in installments to get himself retired there. He did nan champion he could. He's surely not nan logic we lost."

Oklahoma City Thunder guardant Jalen Williams reacts to a changeable by guardant Luguentz Dort successful nan 3rd 4th against nan San Antonio Spurs during crippled 1 of nan Western Conference finals for nan 2026 NBA playoffs astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, connected May 18, 2026. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)

Williams did not talk to reporters aft Thursday's crippled successful San Antonio.

Williams underwent room past offseason to repair a wrist wounded but still played a cardinal domiciled successful nan Thunder’s tally to nan NBA Finals past season. He appeared successful conscionable 33 regular-season games earlier this year’s playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder defender Jalen Williams drives into nan overgarment during nan first 4th of Game Two of nan NBA Western Conference Finals against nan San Antonio Spurs astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Oklahoma connected May 20, 2026. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The victor of Saturday’s Game 7 will beforehand to nan NBA Finals to look nan New York Knicks. New York snapped a astir three-decade Finals drought by sweeping nan Cleveland Cavaliers successful nan Eastern Conference finals.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to nan Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.