Jalen Williams remains out for Game 5 of Thunder-Spurs

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play shorthanded in the Western Conference finals once again.

The Thunder announced pregame Tuesday ahead of Game 5 that All-NBA forward Jalen Williams will remain out with a lingering left hamstring injury. The winner of Tuesday’s game will take a 3-2 series lead and stand one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals.

Williams suffered the injury in Game 2 and didn’t play in Games 3 and 4. Williams was listed as questionable for Games 4 and 5 prior to being ruled out before tipoff. He was ruled out again on Tuesday after going through pregame warmups to test his hamstring.

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Williams had previously missed six consecutive playoff games with an injury to the same hamstring.

Ajay Mitchell, meanwhile, remains out with a calf strain that also sidelined him for Game 4 against the Spurs. Oklahoma City ruled him out on Monday, indicating that he’s not close to a return to action. A precise timeline for his return isn’t clear.

Mitchell usually starts when Williams isn’t available. Cason Wallace got the start in Sunday’s Game 4 loss to the Spurs in Williams’ and Mitchell’s absence, and the Spurs won in a 103-82 runaway.

Second-year standout Jared McCain will get the start in Game 5. He played a big role in Oklahoma City’s Game 3 win with 24 points in 27 minutes off the bench. The Thunder are certainly hoping he can spark the Thunder offense after they scored 82 points in Game 4, their lowest output since 2021.