The Oklahoma City Thunder took a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns following Wednesday’s 120-107 win, but it was not without a key injury and poor execution down the stretch.
The Thunder led by as many as 26 and forced 22 Phoenix turnovers, but a late Suns rally trimmed the deficit down to 10 before the defending champions took control in the closing moments.
A major concern going forward, though, is going to be the health of guard Jalen Williams, who suffered a left hamstring injury in the third quarter. Williams, who is the second-leading scorer on the team behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, previously missed 19 games at the beginning of the season after recovering from offseason wrist surgery and another 30 games due to a right hamstring issue.
Jalen Williams’ injury a concern for Thunder going forward
The injury occurred when Williams missed a layup midway through the third quarter and pulled up awkwardly under the basket following the play. He did not leave the game right away, but eventually subbed himself out and limped to the locker room a few possessions later.