Thunder’s Jalen Williams reveals why he isn’t thinking about hamstring injury after return

OKLAHOMA CITY — In only his third game back from two right hamstring injuries, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams is feeling closer to his old self. His 18 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and one steal helped the Thunder return to the win column in a 131-113 win against the Chicago Bulls. Oklahoma City entered Friday’s matchup with a 2.0-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference standings.

Williams, who missed 15 consecutive games, says fatigue wasn’t the issue in his first two outings since his injury, but rather the mental hurdles that have plagued him from feeling 100 percent.

“The biggest thing for me is a mental thing. Last time I strained it, I felt good. And I had pulled it trying to reach for a pass,” Williams said. “It’s one of those things where, just over time, the more you get reps doing it, you stop thinking about it. So, that’s kind of where I’m at, where I’m not thinking about it. I can kind of do a lot more of my normal moves, stop, and not have it in the back of my mind.”

With eight games left in the regular season, Jalen Williams plans to make the most of his reps ahead of the Thunder’s postseason.

“I’ve done a good job rehabbing. I’m integrating more and more minutes, as it comes to it,” Williams said. “Just getting my feet and stuff is the biggest thing. But I’m not in the game like ‘I have to get to the rim right now.’ It’s just more like, can I consistently make the plays that I usually make?”

Jalen Williams’ honest take on where he’s at in his recovery: “The biggest thing for me is a mental thing. Last time I strained it, I felt good. And I had pulled it trying to reach for a pass.

It’s one of those things where just over time the more you get reps doing it, you… pic.twitter.com/CZPQqRV4SP

— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) March 28, 2026

All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points, five assists, and three steals.

Mark Daigneault’s ‘sense of urgency’ takes on No. 1 seed

During his pregame media availability, coach Mark Daigneault discussed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference standings. When a reporter asked the Thunder coach before Friday’s matchup against the Bulls if there was an increased sense of urgency, considering the slim lead atop the standings, Daigneault dismissed the notion entirely.

“If your sense of urgency increases based on the standings, then your sense of urgency wasn’t high enough to begin with,” Daigneault said. “We try to have a sense of urgency about improving and building our habits, competing together every single opportunity we get. And, if you need external forces to increase that, then, like I said, your bar is not planned enough in the first place.”

The Thunder has won 13 of its previous 14 games.

The post Thunder’s Jalen Williams reveals why he isn’t thinking about hamstring injury after return appeared first on ClutchPoints.