Jalen Williams was not listed on the injury report for Sunday’s Game 1 against Phoenix, a clear sign the Thunder will have him available when the playoffs open.
That matters because Williams sat out Oklahoma City’s last two regular-season games while the team managed his right hamstring injury, and his return gives the Thunder a scorer and creator who finished the season strong. Over his final five regular-season appearances, he averaged 16.6 points, 6.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 27.4 minutes per game.
Williams had been held out late in the regular season strictly as part of that hamstring management, but he is now ready for the start of the playoffs. The matchup with Phoenix is Game 1, and Oklahoma City’s rotation looks healthier at the moment the margin for error gets smaller.
The only real tension is how much of Williams’ late-season form carries over after the layoff. The numbers say he was producing across the board, but the Thunder still have to see whether that rhythm shows up immediately when the pace and pressure change.
For Oklahoma City, the first step is simple: Williams is in, and that changes the shape of Sunday’s game before it even starts.
