The Lakers aren’t alone in having been without a star player due to a hamstring strain in their upcoming playoff series.
During the Thunder’s first round series with the Suns, Jalen Williams exited Game 2 with a hamstring strain, a sight purple and gold faithful are certainly familiar with.
After the game, Williams was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain, a less severe injury than the one Luka Dončić is
dealing with. Still, the team announced updates on his status would only come weekly, an indicator of how long he was expected to be out.
The Lakers-Rockets series going six games actually helped OKC in giving Williams additional time to rest, though. And that time could prove to be critical.
At Oklahoma City’s practice on Saturday, head coach Mark Daigneault was coy about Williams’ status, as one would expect.
It’s unlikely that there is any sort of clarity on Williams’ status until Game 1 on Tuesday. Even then, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there’s some gamesmanship and Williams is listed as questionable for the contest, forcing the Lakers to at least prepare for him in some regard.
OKC has plenty of experience playing without Williams this year. The Thunder played the first 19 games without him, going 18-1 in that span. In total, he only played 33 games this series after dealing with various injuries, including just nine appearances in the last 39 games.
Obviously, Lakers fans aren’t going to feel any sort of sympathy for the Thunder, but it will be a storyline worth watching entering the series. It’s possible Williams returns this series and it’s certainly more likely than Luka returning, but it’s not a given either will be back.
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