Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled to hold back tears after teammate Jalen Williams suffered a serious left lower-leg injury during their 108-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
Williams went down with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter after driving toward the basket and landing awkwardly following contact with Clippers defenders Derrick Jones, Jr. and Kris Dunn.
The All-Star guard remained on the floor as medical personnel rushed to attend to him. He was eventually placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court, giving the crowd two thumbs-up as fans applauded.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who witnessed the incident, buried his face in his jersey as the Thunder star received treatment. The emotional scene overshadowed Oklahoma City’s victory, which kept the defending NBA champions undefeated at 3-0 to open the season.
“I just feel bad for him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in a postgame television interview, visibly fighting back tears.
The reigning NBA star acknowledged the challenge of losing an important teammate but remained confident that Williams would recover and return to the court.
“He’s not gone forever. He’ll be back better than ever, and we know it. We’ve just got to hold the fort down until he comes back,” Gilgeous-Alexander added.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault also expressed concern over the injury, admitting the team was struggling emotionally after the incident.
“We’re not doing great,” Daigneault said.
No official diagnosis had been announced immediately after the game, with the team expecting further information on Williams’ condition on Monday morning.
Williams played a crucial role in Oklahoma City’s 2025 NBA championship run and has earned All-Star and All-NBA honors during his career. His latest injury comes after he missed 49 games last season, largely because of hamstring issues.
Despite the distressing ending, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 34 points, while Ajay Mitchell contributed 18 points off the bench in the seven-point victory over the Clippers. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
