Thunder's Jalen Williams Has Surgery on Wrist Injury, Will Be Reevaluated in 12 Weeks
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams played his team's entire postseason run to the NBA championship with a ligament tear in his wrist that required surgery.
According to the Thunder (h/t NBA insider Marc Stein), Williams underwent surgery to repair the torn ligament in his right wrist and will be reevaluated in 12 weeks.
The 24-year-old Williams averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in his third NBA season.
The injury occurred during the Thunder's April 9 game at the Phoenix Suns, which resulted in a 125-112 road win.
Despite the ligament tear, Williams remained productive in the team's 23 playoff games, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals. He played 34.6 minutes per night.
Williams enjoyed some fantastic games for his team when it mattered most. For example, he exploded for 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting in a 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
He also added 34 points in a massive 128-126 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, giving the Thunder a 3-1 series lead instead of a two-all tie. OKC ended up winning the series in five en route to the championship.
Overall, it was an impressive postseason for Williams even if he was healthy, but with the knowledge that he played through a ligament tear in his wrist, it makes his two-month performance all the more impressive.
