Thunder standout Jalen Williams set to make comeback against 76ers
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams has been removed from the injury report and is set to return for Monday’s away game against the Philadelphia 76ers after being sidelined for over five weeks due to a strained right hamstring, sources informed ESPN on Sunday.
Williams, who has experienced two hamstring strains this season, makes his comeback with 11 games left in the regular season.
Injuries have restricted Williams, a third-team All-NBA selection last season, to just 26 games this year. The Thunder are optimistic that Williams will find his rhythm as the playoffs approach.
Williams was absent for the first 19 games while recuperating from surgery on his right wrist, which he injured in the last week of the 2024-25 regular season. He postponed the surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his shooting wrist until after the playoffs, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game during the Thunder’s championship run, despite needing frequent pain-relief injections in his wrist. He has faced challenges in regaining his shooting accuracy, averaging 17.5 points per game while recording a career-low 31.3% from beyond the arc this season.
Williams initially strained his hamstring during a January 17 road defeat against the Miami Heat. He missed the subsequent 10 games, returning for a February 9 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, Williams re-injured the strain two nights later, cutting short an impressive individual display in a February 11 road win against the Phoenix Suns. He scored 28 points on 11-of-12 shooting in 20 minutes before leaving the court with a limp.
The Thunder currently hold the league’s best record at 56-15, including an 11-game winning streak since reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain. According to ESPN Research, Oklahoma City has recorded the second-most missed games due to injuries, only behind the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Thunder’s anticipated starting lineup of Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein has played together in just five games this season.
