Jalen Williams Returns With a Bang, Lifts Thunder Past Lakers in Statement Game
It wasn’t just the ice bath that had Jalen Williams shivering postgame-it was the adrenaline wearing off after a scorching fourth quarter in his long-awaited return. After missing 10 games with a strained right hamstring, Williams came back with purpose, pouring in 23 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder take down the Los Angeles Lakers, 119-110, at Crypto.com Arena.
And while the stat line was solid, the timing of his buckets told the real story.
Williams dropped 10 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, including a cold-blooded stepback jumper with a minute left that pushed OKC’s lead to 113-110-a dagger that helped seal the win. It was a moment that felt bigger than just two points. It was the exclamation mark on a night that reminded everyone just how impactful Williams can be when he's on the floor.
“He slammed the door on that game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “He’s got such a body of work that we’re not overly concerned with how he plays coming back.
We’re just happy he’s back. … Obviously, he was huge tonight.
We know he’s a big-time player.”
Early on, though, there were signs of rust-and understandably so. Williams looked like a guy who hadn’t played in nearly a month and had spent the summer recovering from two surgeries on his shooting wrist. Through the first three quarters, he shot just 3-for-11 from the field, struggling to find rhythm from both inside and beyond the arc.
But Williams never hung his head. He stayed aggressive, stayed engaged-and when the game hit winning time, he flipped the switch.
That confidence didn’t come from nowhere. It’s been built over time, through battles, setbacks, and support from his teammates-especially Chet Holmgren, who’s been in his ear all season long.
"You have so many different people from different directions talking at you at times," Holmgren said. "You have your coaches.
You have your team and your individual team. You have your friends and your family.
Even if everybody says something that's right, you can't process that much stuff. I don't want to be another voice talking at him.
I just try to give him encouragement."
And that encouragement matters. Williams didn’t take the easy road after last season.
He could’ve opted for wrist surgery right after the Thunder’s championship run and had a full summer to recover. Instead, he delayed the procedure to help the team push through the playoffs-sacrificing his offseason and pushing his rehab into the heart of this season.
“This isn’t an easy job without injuries,” Holmgren added. “He sacrificed so much for us over that playoff series. … It’s just about encouraging him, breathing life into him and making sure his confidence is at an all-time level.”
That confidence showed up in the fourth quarter like it never left. Williams started creating space with ease, slicing through the Lakers’ defense and finishing around the rim with the kind of touch that helped him become a key piece of OKC’s championship core. He made the floor look like his personal runway-gliding through defenders, pulling up with poise, and knocking down shots that refused to fall earlier in the night.
And while the hamstring was the headline injury, Williams' wrist-his shooting wrist-was quietly a storyline of its own. Monday’s game wasn’t just a return to action; it was a test for that wrist, and it passed with flying colors.
“The three weeks were actually great for me,” Williams said. “That was the first time that I'd shot like that since April 8 of last year, so that was really dope. My hand feels good.”
There was a brief scare in the third quarter when he collided with Deandre Ayton on a layup attempt and came away holding that same wrist. But after a quick shake and a missed free throw, Williams confirmed it was just a stinger.
“It went away right after I missed the free throw, unfortunately,” he said with a grin.
Even with a minutes restriction-he was capped at 24-Williams made every one of them count. He didn’t just return. He reminded everyone what he brings to the table: poise under pressure, elite shot creation, and the ability to rise when the game demands it most.
He’s still working his way back to full form, but Monday night was a glimpse of what’s coming. And if this is what Jalen Williams looks like while shaking off the rust, the rest of the league better buckle up.
Because once he’s fully warmed up, the Thunder are only going to get more dangerous.