The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Miami Heat tonight, but a routine night suddenly turned sour for the Thunder. Forward Jalen Williams exited the game in the second quarter, leaving OKC vulnerable without one of their best players. Here’s what happened.

Why Did Jalen Williams Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

With about five minutes left to go in the second quarter, Williams drove the ball into the lane before trying to throw a behind-the-head pass to Chet Holmgren. Immediately, it was clear something was wrong, with Williams grabbing at the back of his leg, unable to run back on defense as the Heat scored capitalising in transition with Williams limping.

Immediately after the Heat scored, about eight seconds later, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault called a timeout. Williams was briefly looked at by team personnel, before exiting the game, limping down the tunnel towards the OKC locker room.

The Thunder later announced that Williams was ruled out for the rest of the game, citing right thigh soreness. Ajay Mitchell replaced him in the third quarter starting lineup.

Williams has already missed the first 19 games of the season due to multiple wrist surgeries; first in July to repair a torn scapholunate ligament, then to remove a screw that had started irritating his wrist in October.

However, recently, he had finally been getting back into All-Star shape. Over his last seven games before tonight, he had become an elite inside-the-arc scorer, shooting 56% from the two-point line, despite the three-point shot regressing to 20%.

How Did Jalen Williams Perform Before Leaving?

Jalen Williams had logged a solid performance before exiting tonight’s game. In 13 minutes, the forward recorded 8 points on 3-5 shooting and made both of his threes, along with three rebounds and assists each. The team performed well with him on the court, indicated by the +4 plus/minus.

Williams has had a rough start to the season following an offseason surgery on his wrist. Despite logging 17.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds, he has struggled with efficiency, particularly from long range, dropping from a respectable 36.5% last season to a horrid 27.6% this season.

How Did the Oklahoma City Thunder Adjust Without Williams?

Without Williams, the Thunder have relied on their wing depth, with increased playing time for Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, who have all been productive.

Joe and Mitchell alone have combined for 16 points, and Wiggins has added 13 of his own.

Williams has started emulating co-star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, generating paint touches and operating as a playmaker, while focusing most of his energy on the defensive end, something that earned him All-Defensive honors last season.

As time goes on, Williams should become increasingly comfortable as the wrist improves and he gets back into the flow of the Thunder offense.

For now, though the Thunder might not have any chance of breaking wins records like we previously thought, they still remain one of the most formidable teams to face on any given night.