Tough blow for defending champion Oklahoma City: Thunder loses one of its stars to injury against Miami
Jan 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) reacts against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Scare in the ranks of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The reigning NBA champion lost Jalen Williams during their road game at Miami Saturday night. The star forward left the game midway through the second quarter after injuring his right thigh in an unfortunate play.
Jalen Williams is headed to the locker room after grabbing at his hamstring 😬 pic.twitter.com/OdBJL04iPT
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 18, 2026
Injury occurred on an acrobatic pass
The incident happened as Williams drove into the paint against two Heat defenders. The player attempted to contort his body to make a behind-the-head pass to Chet Holmgren near the basket, but immediately grabbed the back of his right leg, indicating a muscle strain.
Jalen Williams heads back to the locker room after grabbing at his hamstring (with replays).
He did not return.
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Also on Youtube:https://t.co/0KOEFIXJ9a pic.twitter.com/fSvqvLzaZI
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) January 18, 2026
Williams remained in the offensive half while play continued, before the Thunder called a timeout eight seconds later. After being briefly examined by the medical staff, the player limped to the tunnel leading to Oklahoma City’s locker room.
The team quickly released the diagnosis: Williams was suffering from right thigh pain and had to be ruled out for the remainder of the game. Ajay Mitchell took his place in the starting lineup to begin the third quarter.
Promising statistics despite a truncated start to the season
Before his early exit, Williams had compiled 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 13 minutes of play. He had made 3 of his 5 field goal attempts, including 2-for-2 from three-point range, showing solid offensive efficiency. The extent of this new thigh injury remains to be determined, and it is not yet clear if Williams will miss additional games.
This season, the Thunder guard is averaging 17.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Statistics all the more remarkable considering Williams had already missed the first 19 games of the 2024-2025 season due to wrist surgery during the offseason.
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