Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sends Emotional Message After Thunder Star’s Scary Injury

The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a significant blow with star guard Jalen Williams suffering a dislocated left ankle and fractured fibula in Sunday’s win over the LA Clippers.

The injury occurred with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter as Williams was driving to the basket and he landed awkwardly on his left leg, collapsing under it and bending it outward at an unnatural angle.

Williams immediately became aware of the severity of the injury, and the team medical staff took him off the court on a stretcher.

“I just feel bad for him,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said after Sunday’s game via ESPN. “It’s obviously going to be tough without a player like that. But he’s not gone forever. He’ll be back better than ever, and we know it. We’ve just got to hold the fort down until he comes back.”

Williams is expected to undergo surgery that will require him to miss a few months, potentially the rest of the season. Through the first three games, he was averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.

The 25-year-old has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons, missing the first 19 games last year due to wrist surgery. He then dealt with strains to both hamstrings that significantly hampered him the rest of the season.

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He played in only 33 regular season games and missed 10 of the Thunder’s 15 playoff games. Williams is currently in the first year of his five-year, $239 million maximum contract that he inked following Oklahoma City winning the 2025 NBA title.