Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams is carefully working his way back from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for two months. The 2024 NBA All-Star returned to action but lasted only two games before reaggravating the injury, missing another 16 games. Williams described the mental hurdle of returning from hamstring injuries, saying the fear of re-injury makes every movement feel 'eerie' during the ramp-up process.

Williams played 24 minutes in the Thunder's 119-109 loss to the Boston Celtics, scoring seven points with three rebounds and three assists. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is managing his minutes carefully, with Williams playing 20 minutes against Philadelphia before his 21-minute stint in Boston. 'We're still managing the minutes. We're soft on that, it's not a hard cap,' Daigneault said, noting they're not looking at 30-minute nights yet.

The Thunder are being cautious with Williams' return, knowing another hamstring pull could derail their championship hopes. Oklahoma City sits two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, with nine games remaining. Williams acknowledged the mental obstacle of playing with the same injury twice, saying it affects his explosiveness even as he tries not to disrupt the team's flow in these final regular-season games.