Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Dropped 37 Points and Now the Thunder Are Up 2-0, But Jalen Williams Left Limping

The Oklahoma City Thunder just flexed hard on the Phoenix Suns in Game 2, rolling to a 120-107 victory at home on Wednesday and taking complete control of this first-round series with a 2-0 lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was absolutely unstoppable, dropping 37 points and dishing nine assists. But here's the gut punch: Thunder star Jalen Williams went down with a left hamstring injury midway through the third quarter and didn't come back. This could get ugly fast.

Gilgeous-Alexander Finally Found His Shot

SGA looked shaky early, missing his first three shots on Wednesday. Then he flipped a switch. He hit 7 of his next 10 in the first half alone and finished 13-for-25 from the field. Compare that to Game 1 where he went 5-for-18, and you see exactly what Oklahoma City needed. Chet Holmgren backed him up with 19 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, including a huge quarter where he grabbed boards on three straight possessions to start the third and added 11 points and three blocks. The Thunder basically buried this thing in the third quarter, running off a 13-2 burst to end the period and stretching the lead to 26 early in the fourth.

The Williams Problem Gets Worse

This is the nightmare scenario for Oklahoma City. Williams was already limited to just 33 games during the regular season because of injuries, missing two separate long stretches with a right wrist injury and a right hamstring problem. Before he went down on Wednesday, he was playing lights out too, 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four assists in 23 minutes. He pulled up on a drive, grabbed his hamstring, and that was it. The Thunder can't catch a break with injuries to their stars.

The Suns kept trying late, cutting it to 10 with under four minutes left, but Ajay Mitchell drained a three to push it back to 113-100 and seal it. Dillon Brooks went off for 30 points with 13 coming in the fourth quarter. Devin Booker had 22 and Jalen Green added 21, but it wasn't enough.

Game 3 is Saturday in Phoenix. The Thunder are rolling, but their health is about to be the real story of this series.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.