Oklahoma City’s standout player Jalen Williams may return for the NBA Finals if the Thunder can defeat San Antonio in tonight’s decisive Game 7, according to head coach Mark Daigneault’s comments before Saturday’s home matchup.
The 25-year-old forward will miss the final game of the Western Conference series due to a left hamstring problem. Tonight’s winner-take-all contest will determine who faces the New York Knicks in the championship round, set to begin Wednesday.
In Game 6, Williams appeared for just 10 minutes as a substitute and had difficulty performing due to his injury, managing only one point while turning the ball over twice. However, Daigneault indicated that Williams did not worsen his condition during that appearance.
“He’s feeling about the same as he did,” Daigneault told reporters. “He actually came out of the game pretty good for where he is in a normal rehab. Depending on what happens tonight, if we’re fortunate enough to win and advance, he’ll continue this rehab, and we’ll take the same process as we go forward.”
Williams has only appeared in three contests during this series and five games total throughout the playoffs because of hamstring problems. The injury to his left hamstring occurred during the first-round matchup with the Phoenix Suns, forcing him to miss six consecutive games. He re-injured the same hamstring during Game 2 against San Antonio.
Throughout the postseason, Williams has posted averages of 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
