The Oklahoma City Thunder had already survived one tough opening stretch, but Sunday brought the kind of setback no team wants this early: two injuries in the same game. Jaylin Williams and Cason Wallace both had to exit in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers, cutting short an otherwise promising start for OKC.
Siegel posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter, that “The Thunder say Jaylin Williams has right wrist soreness and Cason Wallace is dealing with left shoulder soreness,” and added, “Neither player will return to tonight's game against the Clippers.”
Williams’ night ended without a point in five minutes. He didn’t log a rebound, assist or block either. Wallace managed four points in six minutes, along with three rebounds and two steals before leaving.
Even with those absences, Oklahoma City kept leaning on its top-end talent. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept rolling with 27 points in 28 minutes, while Ajay Mitchell chipped in 13 points in 22 minutes before the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Hartenstein also gave the Thunder a strong interior presence, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. Chet Holmgren added eight points, and his work on defense continues to stand out after drawing criticism on that end in the past. He has opened this 2-0 start with impressive defensive efforts against Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic of the Spurs and Nuggets, respectively.
The Clippers took a 46-43 lead into halftime, but Oklahoma City began to push back after the break. The Thunder were ahead 90-88 with less than 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter as they chased a 3-0 start.
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Shai Has Extra Reason To Bring It Against The Clippers
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For Gilgeous-Alexander, the date has a little extra edge because of who is across the floor, and the Thunder will need him to set the tone if they want to keep the early momentum rolling. Holmgrens impact has already given Oklahoma City a different kind of ceiling, while Mitchell is still working to make his scoring more steady, leaving this as one of those early-season tests that can tell a little more about where the rotation stands. [Read more 🡒]