The Oklahoma City Thunder are set for a big clash against the Boston Celtics tonight, but they will be playing shorthanded, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have been ruled out, according to the NBA’s injury report.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been ruled out with a right quad contusion, while Jalen Williams has been ruled out with a left ankle sprain. It is a shame, because this would have been a nice test for the Thunder in one of the last few games before the playoffs. However, there are other games against contenders remaining, and health going into the playoffs is a bigger priority.
Gilgeous-Alexander has cemented himself as one of the superstars in the NBA with the Thunder this season, and his team has put things together this season as well. He has played 71 games so far this season, and hopefully the quad contusion does not keep him out for much longer, and he can be 100 percent for the playoffs.
The duo of Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren gets the majority of the attention for the Thunder, but Williams’ contributions should not go unnoticed. This season, he is averaging 19.5 points with four rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. His contributions have the Thunder in the running for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Thunders’ outlook for last 7 games
The Thunder currently sit at 52-23 overall, which has them tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for second place in the Western Conference, and a half game back of the Denver Nuggets for first. Luckily, there is a bit of a gap between the Thunder and the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers, who are five games back. The seeding for the top three is secondary to being healthy going into the playoffs.
As things currently stand, teams like the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, as well as play-in contenders like the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors all remain as possible first-round opponents for the Thunder. It all depends on the seeding with the top three, and how the NBA Play-In Tournament turns out.
After the game against the Celtics, Oklahoma city will play six more games against the Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Hornets, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks to finish out the regular season. Some of these games will determine the seeding in the Western Conference. They are not very pressing games for the Thunder, but could be more meaningful for the opponents.
It will be interesting to see if and when Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams will be able to return to the floor. They would likely want to play in a few games to stay in game shape before playing in playoff games this spring.
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