The Oklahoma City Thunder will have Jalen Williams available for Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs.
In a now deleted tweet, Thunder reporter Brandon Rahbar reported shortly before tipoff that Williams is available for the closeout game, writing on X, “JDub is back.” The decision gives Oklahoma City one of its most important two-way players as the Thunder try to finish off the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals.
The NBA’s official injury report at 8:30 p.m. EST listed Williams as available.
Williams had been dealing with a left hamstring issue after exiting Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals early. Williams was ruled out for the second half of that game after previously missing six playoff games with a strained hamstring.
That made his Game 6 status one of the biggest pregame questions for Oklahoma City. The Thunder already held a 3-2 series lead after beating San Antonio 127-114 in Game 5 despite not having Williams or Ajay Mitchell available.
But he’s still listed as questionable.
Jalen Williams Gives Thunder Another Creator for Game 6
Williams’ return matters because Oklahoma City is not just getting another scorer back. The Thunder are getting one of their best secondary creators, a physical wing defender and a player who can help steady the offense when San Antonio loads up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
That is especially valuable in a road closeout game.
Gilgeous-Alexander carried Oklahoma City through stretches of Game 5, finishing with 32 points and nine assists. The Thunder also got a major lift from Alex Caruso and Jared McCain while Williams was out.
Williams gives head coach Mark Daigneault more flexibility. He can initiate offense, attack mismatches, punish late rotations and give OKC another player San Antonio must respect outside of Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren.
The Thunder do not necessarily need Williams to play a massive workload immediately. They need his presence to force the Spurs to defend more of the floor.
Oklahoma City Thunder Announce Starters
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein would start Game 6.
The lineup confirms that Jalen Williams will come off the bench in his return from the left hamstring issue that kept his status in question. That is a logical approach for Oklahoma City. Williams is available, but the Thunder do not need to overload him immediately with their season not on the line and a 3-2 series lead already in hand.
McCain remains in the starting group after helping Oklahoma City win Game 5, when he scored 20 points in his first playoff start, according to Reuters. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 32 points and nine assists in that win, while Holmgren added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Hartenstein also gave Oklahoma City important size, finishing with 12 points and 15 rebounds in the 127-114 victory.
Will Jalen Williams Be on a Minutes Restriction?
It remains unclear whether Jalen Williams will be on a formal minutes restriction in Game 6. The Thunder have not yet announced how many minutes Williams is expected to play, which matters because his last appearance was a heavy workload: he logged 37 minutes in Game 1 against the Spurs and finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists before later missing time with the hamstring issue. Given that Williams is coming off the bench in his return, Oklahoma City appears positioned to manage his workload based on how he looks rather than immediately throwing him back into a full starter’s role.
Is Jalen Williams Playing Tonight? Thunder Make Final Game 6 Decision