Jalen Williams makes his comeback in Thunder’s victory against the 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA — After being sidelined for 26 of the last 28 games due to a right hamstring strain, All-NBA forward Jalen Williams returned to the Thunder lineup on Monday night, contributing 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists in 20 minutes during a 123-103 win over the injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers. This victory marked Oklahoma City’s 12th consecutive win and improved their record to 15-1 since the All-Star break.

More significantly, Williams stated that not only is his leg feeling improved, but his surgically repaired right wrist — which delayed the start of his season by over a month — is finally at full strength, declaring it “feels better than it ever has.”

“It was just one of those situations where after surgery, when you rush back into games, it’s like, I wouldn’t say rush, but I’m entering games with … I don’t know how my hands will perform,” Williams explained following the victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “Now that I’ve had the opportunity to actually focus on it and practice as I normally would during that time, I’m in a really good place with it.

“Now it’s just about getting my legs back and finding a rhythm with the team.”

This season has been particularly challenging for Williams from an injury perspective, as he played only his 27th game on Monday night and his first since scoring 28 points in 20 minutes during a road victory against the Phoenix Suns on February 11.

On that occasion, Williams — who had just returned in the previous game — re-aggravated the right hamstring strain that had already sidelined him for several weeks, resulting in additional time missed. This injury occurred several weeks after Williams finally began his season in late November following offseason wrist surgery, after he played a pivotal role in the Thunder winning their first NBA title in June.

“I wouldn’t say frustrating is the right term,” Williams remarked when asked about his feelings regarding the injuries. “If I were on a different team, I might feel more frustrated, but I’m surrounded by positive energy. So I think that’s one of the factors that keeps me motivated.

“I’ve been trying to view [the injuries] positively as well. My wrist feels better than it ever has, so I believe that was a significant hurdle during the season that I’ve managed to overcome. It feels back to normal… I feel really good.”

For Oklahoma City, Monday night represented just the sixth occasion this season that the starting five from Game 7 of June’s NBA Finals played together, having accumulated only a total of 41 minutes across the first five games.

As the Thunder aim to become the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18 to defend their title — a record streak of eight consecutive seasons without a repeat champion — injuries have been a recurring theme, not solely for Williams.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a frontrunner to repeat as the league’s Most Valuable Player, has missed 12 games, putting him at risk of not meeting the league’s 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards eligibility. Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe are the only players to have missed fewer than 10 games all season, while four of the team’s top eight players — Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell — have missed over 20 games.

With Williams back, when Mitchell — who was suspended for Monday’s game due to an incident in Saturday’s win over the Wizards — returns to action on Wednesday in Boston against the Celtics, it will be one of the first instances all season that the Thunder will have their entire projected rotation available to compete.

“I think it’s going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise to some extent,” Williams commented on the numerous injuries the Thunder have faced this season. “It will create a sense of urgency for us to figure out how to play with all the guys. I also think it’s one of the most interesting aspects of the team that we have this challenge due to our depth.

“I don’t think we’ve all played together yet. So I think that aspect is sometimes overlooked because we’re really good, but it’s definitely one of those obstacles we need to overcome. We have enough games left to accomplish it.”

However, this situation has only slightly affected Oklahoma City’s pursuit of securing the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for a third consecutive year. As of Monday night’s game, the Thunder had a plus-11 net rating — the highest in the NBA by a full three points over the Detroit Pistons — and boasted both the league’s seventh-ranked offense and top-ranked defense.

The Thunder have relied on their strong performance over the past several weeks to maintain their lead over the San Antonio Spurs, who also achieved another victory on Monday night in Miami. The Spurs, who have defeated the Thunder in four out of five encounters, remain three games behind Oklahoma City, holding the tiebreaker, with 10 games remaining for both teams.

The Thunder will now aim to utilize these final three weeks of the regular season to establish their rhythm for what the franchise hopes will be another deep playoff run — and a second consecutive title.

“Yes, I’m pleased that we have everyone healthy,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. “I’m excited for them. I dislike when a player is sidelined due to injury; it’s unfortunate for the individual first, but it also brings energy. It presents us with another puzzle to solve.

“Integrating players back into the lineup is not easy, but it also reflects well on the players who have remained healthy, performed well, and truly elevated our team. So I am looking forward to Wednesday.”